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Draft:Bear products

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  • Comment: I can not find independent reliable sources that discuss the list topic as a group or set (WP:NLIST). —Alalch E. 03:20, 16 July 2025 (UTC)
  • Comment: I was under the impression that "animal products" was an exception to PLURAL but that doesn't seem to be the case, feel free to move to 'bear product' instead
American black bear skin, Alaska, 2012

The animal products of bears include bearskin, bear meat, and bear bile. These are variously sought after in bear hunting for both practical and cultural purposes, though the bear bile industry has seen the rise of captively farmed bile bears instead.

Pelts

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A bear's fur consists of two types of hair: the underfur and the outer guard hairs. The underfur, which is soft and dense, serves primarily as an insulator. The outer guard hairs are much thicker, longer and coarser, and while they also insulate, they primarily serve to protect the body from dirt, debris and insects, as well as to repel water.[1]

Black bear fur was considered more valuable in the American West than that of grizzly.[2] The Inuit of Greenland use polar bear fur for clothing in areas where reindeer (caribou) and seals are scarce. Polar bear hide is wiry and bulky, making it difficult to turn into comfortable winter garments.[3]

In millinery

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A bearskin of a 1st Grenadier Of The Old Guard.

Bearskin is a traditional type of headgear in many European armies, named after the bear pelts originally used for the fur covering. Use of the bearskin caps evolved from mitre caps used by grenadier units.[4][5] Grenadiers adopted the mitre cap in favour of wide-brimmed caps in the 17th century to provide them with greater mobility when throwing grenades. To prevent the mitre cap from sagging and to provide it with a more impressive appearance, mitre caps were adorned with a metal front plate or fur. Mitre caps with metal front plates were first adopted by the Prussian Army and were later adopted by other Protestant countries, although the trimming of mitre caps with fur became more prevalent in Roman Catholic countries.[5]

Bearskins are today used in ceremonial capacities around the world, however some politicians have voiced their opposition to the tradition's use of real bear fur. In 1997, the British Minister for Defence Procurement Lord Gilbert said that he wanted to see bearskins phased out as soon as possible due to ethical concerns.[6] Similar sentiments were made in March 2005 by British Labour MP Chris Mullin, who called for an immediate ban on bearskins stating that they "have no military significance and involve unnecessary cruelty."[7] In 2023, the European Commission's representative to Denmark launched a social media campaign advocating for the replacement of the bearskin caps used by the Danish Royal Life Guards with an artificial alternative, given the bear's protected status within the European Union.[8]

Meat

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A dish of bear meat in sauce, originally canned in Finland

In Medieval Europe, the eating of bear meat was considered more a symbolic than culinary act. The paws and thigh of the bear were considered the best parts.[9] It was consumed in traditional Russian, Native Siberian, and Ainu cultures.[10] Polar bear are a primary source of food for Inuit.[citation needed] Polar bear meat is usually baked or boiled in a soup or stew. It is never eaten raw. Polar bear liver is inedible, as it contains large amounts of vitamin A and is highly toxic.[3] Bear meat should be thoroughly cooked as it can carry a parasitic infection known as Trichinella and is potentially lethal to humans.[11] It is the single biggest vector of trichinosis in North America.[10]

The taste of bear is extremely variable[10] and dependent on the age and diet of the animal. Bears fed on fish will have the most disagreeable, rancid flavor, which has led to a poor reputation of the meat as a whole, however more omnivorous or plant-based diets introduce a highly desirable, venison-like sweetness and depth to the meat.[12] The best meat apparently comes from two-year-old bear which eat more berries than fish.[13] Bear features notably in Indigenous North American cuisine. Cree writer Joshua Whitehead wrote of the spiritual dimensions of eating bear meat in an autobiographical essay.[14]

Fat

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Bear grease has been used historically in Europe to treat baldness, being mentioned in the writings of numerous physicians such as Nicholas Culpepper. The logo of perfume brand Atkinsons of London is a bear, in reference to their popular 'bears grease' product.

It has historically been used as cooking oil and medicine by both American settlers and Native Americans.[15] Bear fat can also be used as lamp fuel, with 40–50 grams being sufficient to last up to an hour.[9]

Bile

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Bear bile products come in multiple forms, including pill (top) and liquid (bottom) forms.

Traditional Chinese medicine makes use of bear bile and bear paws. Many bears are hunted or poached just to harvest their paws and gall bladders, though modern producers have instead turned to the factory farming of captured 'bile bears' to meet demand.

The monetary value of the bile comes from the traditional prescription of bear bile by doctors practicing traditional medicine. Bear bile contains ursodeoxycholic acid. It is purchased and consumed to treat hemorrhoids, sore throats, sores, bruising, muscle ailments, sprains, epilepsy, reduce fever, improve eyesight, break down gallstones, act as an anti-inflammatory, reduce the effects of overconsumption of alcohol, and to 'clear' the liver.[16][17] It is currently found in various forms for sale including whole gallbladders, raw bile, pills, powder, flakes, and ointment.[17]

China's National Health Commission drew criticism in 2020 after reportedly recommending 'Tan Re Qing', a traditional medicine which contains the bile, to treat severe cases of COVID-19.[18][19] Some South Korean bear bile farmers in the same year advertised that their products could also help with the coronavirus, drawing criticism from local animal rights groups.[20][21]

Efficacy

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Scientific studies have found components of bear bile to have some anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, or hepatoprotective effects.[22][23]

The active ingredient in bear bile is ursodeoxycholic acid. Ursodeoxycholic acid has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory and protective effects in human epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal tract. It has been linked to regulation of immunoregulatory responses by regulation of cytokines,[24] antimicrobial peptides defensins,[25] and take an active part in increased restitution of wound in the colon.[26] Moreover, UDCA's effects has been shown to have exert actions outside the epithelial cells.[27]

Bear bile has been shown in studies to be able to get rid of gallstones or dissolve them in the gallbladder.[28][29]

Due to controversy around the factory farming of bile bears, synthetic sources for ursodeoxycholic acid are currently being investigated and developed. Scientists in China have been working on synthetic forms of bile products to eliminate the need of animal sources for bile. It is thus hoped that in the future, patients can enjoy the benefits of bile products without animal cruelty.[30][31][32][33]

References

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  1. ^ "The American Bear Association Home Page (Web Pages2/index)". Archived from the original on 2013-07-29. Retrieved 2013-02-25.
  2. ^ Roosevelt, Theodore (1902). Hunting the grisly and other sketches. G. P. Putnam's Sons.
  3. ^ a b "Polar bear (Nanuq)". Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. Archived from the original on 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
  4. ^ "Army dress regulations all ranks" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b van den Heuvel, Hans (2013). "Grenadiers en Jagers in actie in Ameide" (PDF). Nieuwsblad Historische Vereniging (in Dutch). 24 (3): 26.
  6. ^ Buckingham guards' bearskins face their Waterloo Archived 26 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Call to ban British royal guards from wearing bearskin hats gains support
  8. ^ Terney, Susanne Ingemann (12 January 2023). "Kampagne leger med fordomme: EU vil afskaffe bjørneskindshuen". markedsforing.dk (in Danish). Dansk Markedsføring. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  9. ^ a b Pastoureau, Michel (2007). L'ours; Histoire d'un roi dechu. Éd. France loisirs. p. 419. ISBN 978-2-02-021542-8.
  10. ^ a b c Shaw, Hank (November 29, 2010). "Bear: A Meat Worth Trying". The Atlantic. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  11. ^ "25 Things Every Black Bear Hunter Should Know". Biggamehunt.net. Archived from the original on 2007-06-09. Retrieved 2007-09-27.
  12. ^ Gruenefeld, David. "Dining on Black Bear", Outdoor Canada, 8 October 2012.
  13. ^ Brown, Gary (1996). Great Bear Almanac. Lyons & Burford. pp. 340. ISBN 1-55821-474-7.
  14. ^ Whitehead, Joshua. "My Body is a Hinterland", Making Love with the Land, Penguin, 2024. pp. 13-15.
  15. ^ "East Texas Black Bear Conservation and Management Plan_ 2005 - 2015". Texas Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 2007-09-27.
  16. ^ Jacobs, A. (2013). "Folk remedy extracted from captive bears stirs furor in China". The New York Times. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
  17. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Isaccs was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ "Chinese government reportedly recommending bear bile injections to treat coronavirus". Mongabay. 2020-03-23. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  19. ^ Pratik Jakhar (2020-06-29). "Covid-19: China pushes traditional remedies amid outbreak". BBC News. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  20. ^ Min Ji Koo (August 4, 2020). "Endangered Moon Bears Are Being Farmed in South Korea for a COVID Cure". Vice Media. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  21. ^ "[현장K] "코로나엔 갓 뽑은 웅담"...반달곰 불법 도축·번식에 고기 섭취까지". KBS 뉴스 (in Korean). Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  22. ^ Feng, Yibin (2009). "Bear bile: dilemma of traditional medicinal use and animal protection". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 5: 2. doi:10.1186/1746-4269-5-2. PMC 2630947. PMID 19138420.
  23. ^ Appiah, S (2017). "Anti-inflammatory and Hepatoproective Medicinal Herbs as Potential Substitutes for Bear Bile". International Review of Neurobiology. 135: 149–180. doi:10.1016/bs.irn.2017.02.008. ISBN 978-0-12-811779-8. PMID 28807157.
  24. ^ Ward JB, Lajczak NK, Kelly OB, O'Dwyer AM, Giddam AK, Ní Gabhann J, Franco P, Tambuwala MM, Jefferies CA, Keely S, Roda A, Keely SJ (June 2017). "Ursodeoxycholic acid and lithocholic acid exert anti-inflammatory actions in the colon". American Journal of Physiology. Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. 312 (6): G550 – G558. doi:10.1152/ajpgi.00256.2016. PMID 28360029.
  25. ^ Lajczak NK, Saint-Criq V, O'Dwyer AM, Perino A, Adorini L, Schoonjans K, Keely SJ (September 2017). "Bile acids deoxycholic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid differentially regulate human β-defensin-1 and -2 secretion by colonic epithelial cells". FASEB Journal. 31 (9): 3848–3857. doi:10.1096/fj.201601365R. PMID 28487283.
  26. ^ Mroz MS, Lajczak NK, Goggins BJ, Keely S, Keely SJ (March 2018). "The bile acids, deoxycholic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid, regulate colonic epithelial wound healing". American Journal of Physiology. Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. 314 (3): G378 – G387. doi:10.1152/ajpgi.00435.2016. PMID 29351391. S2CID 3767047.
  27. ^ O'Dwyer AM, Lajczak NK, Keyes JA, Ward JB, Greene CM, Keely SJ (August 2016). "Ursodeoxycholic acid inhibits TNFα-induced IL-8 release from monocytes". American Journal of Physiology. Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. 311 (2): G334–41. doi:10.1152/ajpgi.00406.2015. PMID 27340129.
  28. ^ Tint, G. S.; Salen, G.; Colalillo, A.; Graber, D.; Verga, D.; Speck, J.; Shefer, S. (September 1982). "Ursodeoxycholic acid: a safe and effective agent for dissolving cholesterol gallstones". Annals of Internal Medicine. 97 (3): 351–356. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-97-3-351. ISSN 0003-4819. PMID 7051912.
  29. ^ "Bear bile, explained". Animals. 2019-02-25. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  30. ^ Li, Sha (2016). "Substitutes for Bear Bile for the Treatment of Liver Diseases: Research Progress and Future Perspective". Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2016: 1–10. doi:10.1155/2016/4305074. PMC 4819118. PMID 27087822.
  31. ^ Huang, Xiaomei (2015). "Preparation of ursodeoxycholic acid from 7-ketone lithocholic acid by stereoselective electroreduction". Bioresources and Bioprocessing. 2. doi:10.1186/s40643-015-0058-4.
  32. ^ Tonin, Fabio (2018). "Latest development in the synthesis of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA): a critical review". Beilstein J Org Chem. 14: 470–483. doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.33. PMC 5827811. PMID 29520309.
  33. ^ Sarenac, Tanja M (2018). "Bile Acid Synthesis: From Nature to the Chemical Modification and Synthesis and Their Applications as Drugs and Nutrients". Front. Pharmacol. 9: 939. doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.00939. PMC 6168039. PMID 30319399.
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