Whereas this polar bear could simply make a meal out of you, one bite of his liver could be enough to send you to the hospital. Liver has lengthy been a staple in many diets. Deep-fried chicken livers are a favorite in parts of the American South. In Japan, you'll be able to order a heaping helping of sashimi made with raw fish liver. As scrumptious (or disgusting) as some of these dishes may sound to you, not each hen, fish or mammal essentially gives the best components for a culinary masterpiece. Travel to Germany and you can feast on conventional liverwurst. The native peoples of the Arctic have never shied away from cooking up some polar bear stew, however they've lengthy identified to avoid consuming the livers of varied arctic creatures. In truth, if you happen to ever have the prospect to try polar bear liver, assume twice -- it would be the final meal you ever eat. Western explorers, nonetheless, realized the hard manner. Perhaps essentially the most horrific symptom they encountered was peeling skin. Even the thick pores and skin on the bottoms of a patient's ft may peel away, leaving the underlying flesh bloody and exposed. The worst circumstances ended in liver damage, hemorrhage, coma and demise. These explorers suffered from acute hypervitaminosis A, a condition ensuing from the overconsumption of vitamin A during a brief time frame. Whereas milder circumstances merely concerned flaking across the mouth, some accounts reported cases of full-body skin loss. The polar bear's liver, very similar to these of arctic seals and huskies, incorporates extraordinarily excessive ranges of retinol (the form of vitamin A present in members of the animal kingdom). On the following page, we'll uncover why polar bears carry around a lot vitamin A of their livers and the way crucial their retinol tolerance is to their survival. While some vitamins dissolve in water, vitamin A only dissolves in fat. As a substitute, it collects within the body's filtration organ, the liver, where it could possibly reach toxic ranges. Vitamin A is a vital building block for many animals. This means that, in contrast to other vitamins, excess vitamin A would not exit the body in urine. Humans solely require it in very small amounts, however it performs a vital role in large panda teddy eyesight, reproduction, fetal growth, progress, immune response and the cellular formation of tissue. Vitamin A tolerability in humans varies relying on age, gender and physical condition. With out enough vitamin A in your system, you could easily end up going through signs just as bad as these related to hypervitaminosis A. Deficiencies can result in dry pores and skin, diarrhea, blindness, development retardation and even death. We typically absorb it by the consumption of foods reminiscent of spinach, broccoli, eggs, milk and numerous meats. Actually, their physiology advanced to tolerate a lot vitamin A for just one reason: to eat seals. Like many animals, polar bears profit from keeping a specific amount of vitamin A in their system, but there's nothing to point they actually require such giant portions. In the event you ate a bearded seal's liver, you'd endure from hypervitaminosis A, however the polar bear can tolerate and enjoy the feast. The seals retailer excessive levels of vitamin A with the intention to swiftly grow and nourish their younger in a harsh, chilly environment. Within the wild, polar bears feed virtually exclusively on bearded seals and ringed seals, each of which store high levels of vitamin A in their livers and blubber. Remember, vitamin A plays a key position in development and natal development. So if the blue plate particular at your favorite diner is ever sautéed polar bear liver, you would possibly just want to keep on with a salad. The seals depend on this vitamin to rapidly advance them by way of their vulnerable pup phases. Explore the hyperlinks on the next web page to be taught extra about vitamin A and polar bear liver. One polar bear liver usually accommodates as much vitamin A as seventy nine to a hundred and fifteen hen eggs. That award-successful meal is available in at practically twice the tolerable upper limits of human vitamin A consumption. What does global warming must do with the decline within the polar bear population? Brown, Dan. "Vitamin A Toxicity." Cornell University Department of Animal Science. AZA Bear Tag. "Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)." Association of Zoos and Aquariums Standardizes Animal Care Guidelines. Eliasen, Mogens. "The Dangerous(?) Vitamin A." K9joy Education. Higdon, Jane. "Vitamin A." Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Hicks, R. Marian. "The scientific basis for concerning vitamin A and its analogues as anti-carcinogenic agents." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. International federation of Aggressive Consuming. Lintzenich, Barbara, et al. Brookfield Zoo Conservation Biology and Analysis Center. Canadian Journal of Zoology. Penniston, Kristina L. and Sherry A. Tanumihardjo. Mos, Lizzy and Peter S. Ross. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The University of Cambridge Dunn Nutritional Laboratory and Medical Analysis Council. Rodahl, K. and T. Moore. Slaughter, Kip. E-mail interview.
