Whereas this polar bear may simply make a meal out of you, one chew of his liver might be enough to send you to the hospital. Liver has lengthy 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 a few of these dishes could sound to you, not every chook, fish or mammal essentially affords the most effective ingredients for a culinary masterpiece. Travel to Germany and you may feast on traditional liverwurst. The native peoples of the Arctic have never shied away from cooking up some polar bear stew, but they've lengthy recognized to avoid consuming the livers of various arctic creatures. Actually, when you ever have the chance to try polar bear liver, suppose twice -- it often is the last meal you ever eat. Western explorers, nonetheless, realized the exhausting way. Maybe probably the most horrific symptom they encountered was peeling skin. Even the thick skin on the bottoms of a affected person's toes may peel away, leaving the underlying flesh bloody and exposed. The worst instances ended in liver harm, hemorrhage, coma and death. These explorers suffered from acute hypervitaminosis A, a condition ensuing from the overconsumption of vitamin A during a short period of time. Whereas milder cases merely involved flaking around the mouth, some accounts reported circumstances of full-body skin loss. The polar bear's liver, very like these of arctic seals and huskies, contains extremely excessive ranges of retinol (the form of vitamin A found in members of the animal kingdom). On the following web page, we'll discover why polar bears carry round a lot vitamin A of their livers and how essential their retinol tolerance is to their survival. While some vitamins dissolve in water, vitamin A only dissolves in fats. As an alternative, it collects within the body's filtration organ, the liver, the place it may reach toxic levels. Vitamin A is a vital building block for a lot of animals. Which means, unlike different vitamins, excess vitamin A does not exit the physique in urine. Humans solely require it in very small quantities, but it performs a significant function in eyesight, reproduction, fetal growth, development, immune response and the cellular formation of tissue. Vitamin A tolerability in humans varies relying on age, gender and physical situation. Without sufficient vitamin A in your system, you may simply find yourself dealing with symptoms just as bad as these related to hypervitaminosis A. Deficiencies can lead to dry skin, diarrhea, blindness, development retardation and even loss of life. We sometimes absorb it via the consumption of foods resembling spinach, broccoli, eggs, milk and numerous meats. In fact, their physiology diigo.com/0sbtdu developed to tolerate a lot vitamin A for just one reason: to eat seals. Like many animals, polar bears benefit from retaining a certain quantity of vitamin A in their system, but there's nothing to indicate they actually require such massive 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 high levels of vitamin A in an effort to swiftly grow 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 high ranges of vitamin A in their livers and blubber. Remember, vitamin A performs a key function in progress and natal growth. So if the blue plate particular at your favorite diner is ever sautéed polar bear liver, you would possibly just want to stick to a salad. The seals rely on this vitamin to shortly advance them by their weak pup phases. Discover the links on the next page to learn extra about vitamin A and polar bear liver. One polar bear liver sometimes comprises as much vitamin A as seventy nine to one hundred fifteen chicken eggs. That award-winning meal is available in at almost twice the tolerable higher limits of human vitamin A consumption. What does global warming need to do with the decline in the polar bear inhabitants? Brown, Dan. "Vitamin A Toxicity." Cornell University Division of Animal Science. AZA Bear Tag. "Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)." Affiliation of Zoos and Aquariums Standardizes Animal Care Tips. Eliasen, Mogens. "The Harmful(?) Vitamin A." K9joy Education. Higdon, Jane. "Vitamin A." Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State College. Hicks, R. Marian. "The scientific foundation for concerning vitamin A and its analogues as anti-carcinogenic agents." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. Worldwide federation of Competitive Consuming. Lintzenich, Barbara, et al. Brookfield Zoo Conservation Biology and Research 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 College of Cambridge Dunn Nutritional Laboratory and Medical Research Council. Rodahl, Okay. and T. Moore. Slaughter, Kip. E-mail interview.
