Whereas this polar bear might simply make a meal out of you, one chew of his liver could possibly be sufficient to ship you to the hospital. Liver has long been a staple in many diets. Deep-fried hen livers are a favourite in elements of the American South. In Japan, you'll be able to order a heaping serving to of sashimi made with uncooked fish liver. As scrumptious (or disgusting) as some of these dishes could sound to you, not each chook, fish or mammal essentially affords the best components for a culinary masterpiece. Journey to Germany and you'll feast on traditional 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 assorted arctic creatures. In reality, for those who ever have the possibility to strive polar bear liver, suppose twice -- it will be the final meal you ever eat. Western explorers, nevertheless, discovered the onerous approach. Perhaps the most horrific symptom they encountered was peeling skin. Even the thick skin on the bottoms of a patient's toes may peel away, leaving the underlying flesh bloody and exposed. The worst instances ended in liver damage, hemorrhage, coma and demise. These explorers suffered from acute hypervitaminosis A, a situation resulting from the overconsumption of vitamin A throughout a short period of time. While milder circumstances merely involved flaking around the mouth, some accounts reported instances of full-body skin loss. The polar bear's liver, very like these of arctic seals and huskies, accommodates extremely excessive levels of retinol (the type of vitamin A found in members of the animal kingdom). On the subsequent page, we'll discover why polar bears carry around a lot vitamin A in their livers and how crucial their retinol tolerance is to their survival. Whereas some vitamins dissolve in water, vitamin A solely dissolves in fats. As an alternative, it collects in the body's filtration organ, the liver, where it could attain toxic ranges. Vitamin A is a vital constructing block for a lot of animals. Which means that, in contrast to other vitamins, excess vitamin A would not exit the body in urine. People solely require it in very small amounts, nevertheless it performs a vital role in eyesight, reproduction, fetal improvement, development, immune response and the cellular formation of tissue. Vitamin A tolerability in humans varies depending on age, gender and bodily situation. Without enough vitamin A in your system, you may simply find yourself facing symptoms simply as bad as those associated with hypervitaminosis A. Deficiencies can lead to dry skin, diarrhea, blindness, development retardation and even death. We typically absorb it via the consumption of foods reminiscent of spinach, broccoli, eggs, milk and varied meats. In actual fact, their physiology advanced to tolerate so much vitamin A for only one purpose: to eat seals. Like many animals, polar bears profit from retaining a certain quantity of vitamin A in their system, however there's nothing to point they really require such large quantities. Should you ate a bearded seal's liver, you'd endure from hypervitaminosis A, however the polar bear can tolerate and benefit from the feast. The seals store high levels of vitamin A so as to swiftly grow and nourish their younger in a harsh, chilly setting. Within the wild, polar bears feed virtually solely on bearded seals and ringed seals, each of which store excessive ranges of vitamin A of their livers and blubber. Remember, vitamin A plays a key role in growth and natal improvement. So if the blue plate particular at your favourite diner is ever sautéed polar bear liver, you may just need to stick with a salad. The seals rely on this vitamin to shortly advance them through their vulnerable pup levels. Explore the links on the following web page to be taught more about vitamin A and polar bear liver. One polar bear liver usually incorporates as much vitamin A as seventy nine to one hundred fifteen chicken eggs. That award-winning meal is available in at practically twice the tolerable upper limits of human vitamin A consumption. What does world warming have 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 Dangerous(?) Vitamin A." K9joy Training. Higdon, Jane. "Vitamin A." Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State College. Hicks, R. Marian. "The scientific basis for concerning vitamin A and its analogues as anti-carcinogenic agents." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. Worldwide federation of Aggressive Consuming. Lintzenich, Barbara, et al. Brookfield Zoo Conservation Biology and Research 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 College of Cambridge Dunn Nutritional Laboratory and Medical Analysis Council. Rodahl, K. and T. Moore. Slaughter, very very big teddy bear Kip. E-mail interview.
