This is topic Gall Illegal? in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.


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Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
 
Link
 

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Posted by dantesparadigm (Member # 8756) on :
 
What's the significance of a bear's gall bladder?
 

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Posted by MightyCow (Member # 9253) on :
 
I'm sure, like all the most disgusting parts of scary animals, it makes you a better lover.

[ February 04, 2009, 03:03 AM: Message edited by: MightyCow ]
 

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Posted by Aaron Rosenstein (Member # 11949) on :
 
The gallbladder is roughly part of the digestive system and the only way of eliminating excess cholesterol. It stores bile, a fluid containing minerals, cholesterol, fats, phospholipids, bile pigments and bile acids (Saladin). The bile acids are steroids, and along with some of the other compenents, they aid in fat digestion and absorption. 80% of gallbladder acids are reabsorbed by the liver via the ileum, while the rest is excreted.
 

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Posted by Aaron Rosenstein (Member # 11949) on :
 
oh yeah, as for a bear, I imagine there is a greater demand made by the their enterohepatic circulation due to their unique diet and energy storing system. So my best guess is either a unique natural steroid, which MightyCow probably guessed right for the cause...
 

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Posted by Achilles (Member # 7741) on :
 
As it should be.
 

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Posted by dantesparadigm (Member # 8756) on :
 
Yeah, I was referring to the significance of the gall bladder once it is removed from the bear. After some googling, it appears to be an aphrodisiac in China. Sigh.
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
Aaron, welcome to Hatrack.

What you probably didn't realize, being new and all, is that this thread is what is called a dobie. Taking them seriously is simply Not Done.
 

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Posted by Starsnuffer (Member # 8116) on :
 
And a dobie is a take-off of another thread currently in existence.
 

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Posted by Aaron Rosenstein (Member # 11949) on :
 
Thanks for the heads up and welcome rivka. I was up studying till about midnight last night and couldn't help it. Funny things run through my head late and I think I had just posted a political blurp earlier...
 

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Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by dantesparadigm:
Yeah, I was referring to the significance of the gall bladder once it is removed from the bear. After some googling, it appears to be an aphrodisiac in China. Sigh.

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quote:

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Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) considers the bile salts of bear gallbladders to be very powerful medicine. So valuable are these salts that bear gallbladders can cost as much as $4,000 or more each in Asian markets. According to Asian medicine practitioners, bile salts can cure various intestinal, liver, fever, and cardiac-related illnesses. Contrary to popular western belief, bear gallbladders are not prescribed as aphrodisiacs. Clinical research has shown that gallbladder bile is effective as an antispasmodic, poison antidote, anti-coughing agent, and for other medical treatments. Bear claws, paws, teeth and fur are also commercially valuable in markets in Asia, North America, and Europe.

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