While this polar bear may easily make a meal out of you, one chew of his liver could possibly be enough to send you to the hospital. Liver has long been a staple in many diets. Deep-fried chicken livers are a favourite in elements of the American South. In Japan, you may order a heaping serving to of sashimi made with uncooked fish liver. As delicious (or disgusting) as some of these dishes might sound to you, not every bird, fish or mammal essentially offers one of the best ingredients for a culinary masterpiece. Journey 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 eating the livers of assorted arctic creatures. Actually, in case you ever have the chance to attempt polar bear liver, think twice -- it would be the final meal you ever eat. Western explorers, nonetheless, realized the onerous method. Maybe probably the most horrific symptom they encountered was peeling skin. Even the thick pores and skin on the bottoms of a patient's feet may peel away, leaving the underlying flesh bloody and exposed. The worst instances ended in liver harm, hemorrhage, coma and loss of life. These explorers suffered from acute hypervitaminosis A, a condition ensuing from the overconsumption of vitamin A throughout a short period of time. Whereas big panda teddy milder circumstances merely involved flaking across the mouth, some accounts reported cases of full-body pores and skin loss. The polar bear's liver, very similar to those of arctic seals and huskies, accommodates extraordinarily excessive levels of retinol (the type of vitamin A present in members of the animal kingdom). On the next page, we'll discover why polar bears carry round so much vitamin A of their livers and the way essential their retinol tolerance is to their survival. Whereas some vitamins dissolve in water, vitamin A solely dissolves in fat. As an alternative, it collects within the body's filtration organ, the liver, where it can attain toxic ranges. Vitamin A is an important constructing block for many animals. Because of this, unlike different vitamins, excess vitamin A does not exit the physique in urine. Humans only require it in very small amounts, however it performs a vital role in eyesight, reproduction, fetal growth, progress, immune response and the cellular formation of tissue. Vitamin A tolerability in people varies relying on age, gender and bodily condition. With out sufficient vitamin A in your system, you would simply end up facing signs just as dangerous as these associated with hypervitaminosis A. Deficiencies can result in dry skin, diarrhea, blindness, development retardation and even dying. We usually absorb it by way of the consumption of foods such as spinach, broccoli, eggs, milk and numerous meats. In actual fact, their physiology advanced to tolerate so much vitamin A for only one cause: to eat seals. Like many animals, polar bears benefit from holding a specific amount of vitamin A of their system, but there's nothing to indicate they really require such large portions. In the event you ate a bearded seal's liver, you'd suffer from hypervitaminosis A, however the polar bear can tolerate and enjoy the feast. The seals retailer excessive levels of vitamin A with a purpose to swiftly develop and nourish their younger in a harsh, chilly surroundings. Within the wild, polar bears feed virtually exclusively on bearded seals and ringed seals, each of which retailer excessive ranges of vitamin A of their livers and blubber. Remember, vitamin A plays a key function in development and natal development. So if the blue plate particular at your favourite diner is ever sautéed polar bear liver, you might just need to stick with a salad. The seals depend on this vitamin to quickly advance them through their weak pup stages. Discover the hyperlinks on the subsequent web page to study more about vitamin A and polar bear liver. One polar bear liver typically comprises as much vitamin A as seventy nine to a hundred and fifteen hen eggs. That award-profitable meal comes in at nearly twice the tolerable upper limits of human vitamin A consumption. What does world warming must do with the decline within the polar bear inhabitants? Brown, Dan. "Vitamin A Toxicity." Cornell University Department of Animal Science. AZA Bear Tag. "Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)." Affiliation of Zoos and Aquariums Standardizes Animal Care Pointers. Eliasen, Mogens. "The Harmful(?) Vitamin A." K9joy Schooling. 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 brokers." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. International federation of Aggressive Consuming. Lintzenich, Barbara, et al. Brookfield Zoo Conservation Biology and Analysis Heart. 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.
