>Pat writes:
>Somewhere I read that they learned early on
>thatt polar bear liver contained such abnormally high amounts of vit A that
>was actually lethal; they leave the liver frozen and eat very small piecs of
>it every so often during the year! I can see the understanding of toxicity
>there, but ---Kirt---how do you suppose they learned the need for the
>vitamin A (and whatever else, the pharmacy of the animal world!>?

I have always wondered about this polar bear liver story. Wouldn't the
taste-change protect them? Or was it thawed liver? Or is it like the toxic
mushrooms--dangerous regardless of "instinct"? Or it a relative anomally of
nature that polar bears have such toxic livers? How does a polar bear liver
compare by analysis to, say, a caribou liver?

I doubt the eskimos had any shortage of vitamin A in their diet regardless
of polar bear liver..;) Vitamin C was the puzzler, until it was found in
whale blubber, if memory serves (a big if).

An even more interesting yarn is told by Dr. Weston Price about some
landlocked northern Canadian indians, who learned to share the tiny adrenal
glands (raw) from their hunted game amongst the tribe in order to prevent
scurvy.

>I have a copy of Adele Davis's "Let's Eat Right to Keep Fit", 1970, so much
>easier to understand than a biochem tome--all that same knowledge with a
>spoonful of sugar.   :). It is almost too worn to hold together. She studied
>at Perdue, graduated from U.C.at Berkeley, did postgrad  at U.of S.Cal. and
>then got her Master of Science in biochem from U.of S.Cal Med school. She
>emphasizes that a lack of fat can cause as many abnormalities as any other
>nutrient, but that except for linoleic  they can be synthesized from sugars.
>Linoleic, tho, is unique in that it can be substitued for with other fatty
>acids, and sustain life, but not health; it is vital to life.Corn, soybean,
>and cottonseed oils are rich in it, and safflower oil furnishes 905.
>***Avocados, almonds, and olive oil contain but little, and coconut and palm
>oils, none (We know these contain highly saturated fat, taboo!) Isn't that
>intriguing? (if you crave avocado, is it a fatty acid which can sub for
>linoleic that you need?)

Except that, at least according to Schmid, we only need a small amount of
linoleic. Research on fat has come a ways since 1970, with some of the
biggest "news" being the concentrations of EPA and DHEA in wild game and
fatty fish. What I seem to "need" is RAF fat--at least that is what
satisfies, where avos don't seem to.

I don't agree about the tabooness of saturated fat if it is undenatured.
Pacific islanders, who have eaten high percentages of their diet as copra
(dried, and probably rancid to a degree, mature coconut meat) showed no
sign of heart disease. (Kinda like those Cuban sugar cane workers sucking
on sugar cane all day showing no rampant tooth decay)  I wish I could
remember where I read about these two examples... Anybody?

>My cousin was a prisoner of war
>of the Germans in WWII for a year. When freed, he was starved, emaciated,
>and first edible thing he found was a tin of rancid butter. When help came,
>he was hospitalized for three months in England. He returned home,
>apparently just fine, and started a family. But altho there was no history
>of heart problems in our families, none at all, he died of a heart attack at
>age 45, a sure statistic of the war I believe.

What a story!

Cheers,
Kirt