As a source of protein, meat is important for the construction and maintenance of body cells and the production of hormones and enzymes. Without meat, too, we cannot get a proper supply of energy, which makes us strong in our daily activities.
Almost everyone gets protein from nuts, eggs, or meat. The most common meat options include chicken, fish or seafood, beef, lamb, pork, or duck. See more : 10 Best Protein Sources
However, the choice of meat is just a matter of taste and availability, and sometimes according to taste preferences and financial capabilities.
Some of the meats consumed in this world are considered exotic, and bear meats are not left behind. Still, due to their nature, people often find it difficult to treat bear meats just like another animal’s meat, thereby resulting in some unclear questions.
In this article, the compelling answers to these questions are what we will focus on.
Can You Eat Bear Meat? Yes, Bear meat is quite rare and expensive and also suitable for consumption. However, it’s advised to cook this meat properly. This is because of the presence of trichinella in bears which can cause trichinosis, a parasitic infection that intrudes the intestines with fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Does Bear Meat Taste Good?
Many gourmets are interested in what bear meat tastes like, and in general, it most resembles pork. Moreover, The exact taste depends on what the bear has been eating in the past few weeks before being hunted.
For example, if its diet consists of honey, berries, then the taste will be very refined and pleasant. But in cases where you happened to taste the meat of a bear that ate fish or carrion, you should not count on a luxurious meal.
Furthermore, the taste of bear meat depends not only on the dietary habit but also on the age of the bear. According to many consumers, two-year-old bears taste much better than the older ones because they mostly feed on fruits, whereas the older-aged bears prey on other animals.
Is Bear Meat Poisonous to Humans?
There is a danger, but only if an amateur hunts the bear and the meat has not passed the appropriate inspection by the veterinarian. It turns out that about 80% of adult animals are infected with brucellosis.
This parasite can peacefully coexist with a bear host throughout its life without causing any slightest problem. But when it enters the human body, they pose a danger. You need to heat the meat for about eight hours to solve the problem.
Therefore, if there is a desire to enjoy this exotic meat, it is better to purchase it from specialized companies. Here, all products sold undergo mandatory veterinary control, after which they are transported and stored at a safe temperature, due to which the risk of contracting brucellosis tends to zero.
In this case, you do not have to puzzle over whether bear meat is poisonous to humans and what it is fraught with. Also, the polar bear liver is very toxic and inedible as it contains a large amount of vitamin A.
As we all know, humans and other vertebrates store vitamin A obtained from food in the liver. Here, it remains a reserve and is released into the bloodstream as needed. Therefore, it is logical that we find high concentrations of this vitamin in the liver.
However, they reach extreme values in some Arctic animals like bears. While pork liver has about 0.2 and turkey about 0.3 micromoles of vitamin A per gram of fresh weight, a polar bear is 17-48 micromoles! This is enough for serious poisoning, as evidenced by the cases of polar explorers who once ate bear liver. If you ever want to taste a polar bear, be careful. It’s not a good idea to eat his liver.
The cause is related to the large amount of vitamin A and nicely proves the truth of the saying that excess of everything is very harmful.
See also : Can You Eat Raw Liver?
Is Bear Meat Disgusting?
Bear meat can be very tasty or disgusting depending on what the bear has been eating. Spring bears generally eat better foods because a large part of their diet is grass or other plant matter. If a bear has been eating spawned salmon for a long time or carrion, the meat will be quite disgusting.
As mentioned earlier, bear meat is a delicacy but can be so disgusting, and the best way to deal with this is by cooking the meat properly and boiling point or stewing. In this case, the high-temperature heat treatment as an additional safety measure makes bear meats less disgusting and protects against parasites.
Is Black Bear Meat Safe to Eat?
The damage from bear meat can be significant. First of all, the product is often infected with brucellosis – a dangerous infectious disease that affects almost all systems and organs. Also, carcinogens are present in bear meat. For this reason, it is not recommended to use it in cases of cancer or a tendency to such.
Bear meat is also likely to be contaminated with toxoplasma, which damages the heart and nervous system, and echinococci, which damages the lungs and liver.
Above all, bear meat is dangerous meat, which often contains bacteria of trichinosis, and according to statistics, up to 90% of animals over six years are carriers of this disease.
But the meat can be disinfected by prolonged cooking for 8-10 hours, but such treatment will almost destroy all the useful constituents. Therefore, for safety purposes, you need to buy bear meat from reputable suppliers ready to provide safety certificates.
Is Black Bear Meat Good for You?
The most obvious is the low-fat content of the meat itself. Of course, before hibernating, the bear accumulates fat in the body. But it is deposited under the skin, and the meat itself remains relatively dry.
Therefore, bear meat benefits people trying to cut down on their daily calorie intake. On the one hand, there is an opportunity to enjoy tasty and healthy meat.
Moreover, there is no risk of getting too many calories by gaining excess weight. Also, it’s worth noting the composition of the meat. Bear meat is rich in trace elements and vitamins such as iron, zinc, and B vitamins.
Iron, for example, is a very important component of hemoglobin in red blood cells, which helps transport oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body.
The lack of iron in your red blood cells can hinder the transportation of oxygen within the body resulting in a health condition known as anemia. Therefore, you can fulfill your iron needs almost by its daily recommendation value by consuming bear meat.
Another important reason for eating bear meat is its unique properties. The bear habitually picks up a huge amount of nutrients over the summer and fall, accumulating them in the body, and this supply should be enough for several months.
Additionally, this animal eats both foods of animal origin and vegetables – nuts, berries, herbs, roots. That is, a huge concentration of vitamins and vital microelements accumulates in meat.
According to research, neither pork nor lamb can be compared with bear meat. It is not surprising that nutritionists and doctors recommend bear meat to patients with weakened immunity who have survived serious illnesses (only not related to the intestines, stomach).
It is very useful for cardiovascular diseases. However, this is only relevant for bear meat obtained from a bear in the autumn season. In spring, on the contrary, meat contains few nutrients.
Conclusion
The benefits and harms of bear meat are closely linked because of the trichinosis disease. According to statistics, 80 to 90% of adult summer bears are infected carriers. Therefore, bear meat must be cooked at high temperatures, but this does not provide a 100% guarantee that the micro-organism will die. So the final decision on whether you can eat bear meat can only be made after a veterinary meat inspection by a qualified technician. If such inspection is impossible, it is better not to risk your health and give up unexplored meat consumption.