Can you eat bear liver?

In this brief guide, we will answer the query, “Can you eat bear liver?” and will discuss the reason for not consuming bear lever.

Can you eat bear liver?

No, you cannot eat bear liver. There is a lot of vitamin A in the liver of a bear because of this. This is because they eat a lot of vitamin A-rich fish and seals.

Acute hypervitaminosis A, a vitamin A poisoning, may be caused by ingesting the liver. Vomiting, hair loss, bone damage, and even death may occur as a consequence of this treatment method.

Vitamin A: introduction

Vitamin A is fat-soluble and is found in high concentrations in the retina. It may be found in a wide variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, eggs, whole milk, butter, fortified margarine, and oily sea seafood. It’s also possible to make it in a lab. A class of plant pigments known as carotenoids may be identified by their distinctive yellow or orange coloration. Vitamin A can be made from some of these by the body.

Treatment of vitamin A deficiency is the most frequent application of vitamin A.

There are many other conditions for which vitamin A is used, such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, and measles prevention, and treatment of infertility and diarrhea as well as the development of children, the treatment of skin disorders, and the prevention of infection. However, none of these uses have been proven scientifically.

Vitamin A functions

Some substances are helpful in tiny amounts but poisonous at larger levels, such as vitamin A. A wide range of bodily functions requires its presence. Among the many functions, it has been in the development of the eye, the formation of bones, the reproduction of immune cells, cell division, and differentiation into various types of tissues and organs.

 However, the precise sums matter a great deal. All of these physiological functions require modest quantities of vitamin A; but, when taken in high levels, it interferes with them. As a consequence, patients may have eyesight changes, hair loss, infections, miscarriages, and even death. Overdosing on vitamin A isn’t a problem unless you eat polar bear liver or go wild on pills. The danger of taking too little is far higher than the danger of taking too much.

Our vitamin A requirements may be met in two ways. Vitamin A may be found in a variety of animal products, with the liver having the highest concentration. The same may be said for dairy products like eggs and milk. To make up for the fat that’s been removed, most non-fat milk is fortified with vitamin A. In addition, there are fortified grains.

However, to get enough vitamin A, we don’t have to consume animal products or supplements. It is possible to get enough vitamin A in our diets even though no plants contain the nutrient. So, there you have it. A dilemma. Indeed, plants do not contain vitamin A, but they do contain chemicals called carotenoids, which may be converted by the body to vitamin A.

Precursor of vitamin A, beta-carotene is present in a wide variety of foods, including carrots, spinach, cantaloupe, papaya, mango, and oats. Furthermore, consuming an excessive number of carrots will not result in an overdose of vitamin A. Our bodies cease converting beta-carotene to retinol when our livers have enough stored vitamin A. Overdosing on carrots will only cause your skin to become a yellow-orange color. Fortunately, the process can be undone.

Bears and vitamin A

Because they are top carnivores, bears can store vitamin A from lower in the food chain that is generated by marine algae. For this reason, the liver stores vitamin A, which is not water-soluble and thus cannot be readily excreted from the body. Polar bears have the highest concentration of vitamin A in their livers of any mammal, including bears and seals.

Vitamin A’s recommended daily intake (RDA) for humans is 0.9mg, and a well-fed polar bear can provide that much in the form of the liver in only one-tenth of a gram. When it comes to vitamin A, the liver has more than it takes to kill 52 individuals! That liver might last you 143 years if you spread it out and ate just enough to meet your RDA each day.

 Bear consumption is fraught with danger

Hypervitaminosis A, a vitamin overdose, may be acquired by eating the liver of polar bears, seals, or walruses, which is more dangerous. Hair loss, severe skin peeling, birth abnormalities, liver issues, vomiting, impaired vision, and even death are all possible side effects of this CNS-affecting condition.

A healthy adult, according to research, can handle 10,000 IU of vitamin A without experiencing any ill effects. Between 25,000 and 33,000 units is where problems may arise. One pound of polar bear liver contains 9 million units of vitamin A, which is about the size of a hand. The fact that some explorers reported no liver damage may be attributed to the bear’s age, hibernation, and eating patterns.

Trichinosis, a parasite illness acquired via the consumption of raw or undercooked pigs’ or wild game’s (including bear’s) meat, is also very harmful. Fever, muscular discomfort, and exhaustion are all possible symptoms, as an inflammation of the heart, lungs, or brain, which has caused a few fatalities.

Because of the high concentration of vitamin A in the bear liver, native peoples shunned it and, like explorers and whalers, only gave it to their dogs.

To learn about the health benefits of consuming bear meat, click here 

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we answered the query, “Can you eat bear liver?” and discussed the reason for not consuming bear lever.

References

https://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/sciencecommunication/2016/10/04/eating-these-animals-just-might-kill-you/
https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/will-you-die-if-you-eat-a-polar-bears-liver/
https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/we-alaskans/2017/02/05/the-perils-of-eating-polar-bear/
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/nutrition-you-asked/it-true-you-cannot-eat-polar-bear-liver
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-964/vitamin-a

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