People have hunted whales for centuries. Why is this happening? One of the main reasons is whale fat. It is used in many areas of human activity. In the article we will talk in detail about this organic substance, which has important trace elements and vitamins.

Whaling

Whales are huge mammals that live in the water. Their weight can reach up to 150 tons (for example, in extinct mammoths it did not exceed 15), and the average length reaches 25 meters.

It is only natural that these large animals attracted the attention of people. According to historical data, whaling has existed for more than four thousand years. At that time there were a lot of these mammals. Many times more than hunters. Now the situation has changed dramatically. Many countries have already introduced strict bans on the extermination of various

The regulation of animal production began in 1931. Nevertheless, it is very popular in countries such as Russia, Canada, Greenland, USA, Iceland, Norway and Japan.

At first, whale meat was highly valued, but then people learned to use almost all parts of mammals. Their brain and glands are sources of insulin and adrenocorticotropic hormone, and their liver is rich in vitamin A. They also use the blood, skin and fat of whales. In the past, rafters for dwellings were made from bones, or they were ground into flour, which fertilized the soil. Well, whalebone was used in perfumery to obtain amber. Let's go further.

whale fat

It is he who finds the widest application among the products obtained from these mammals. Hunters to extract climbed inside the whale through the mouth. This method is the most optimal, since it was not necessary to cut the skin, which was also used later. All whales have a fairly large supply of fat. This is due to the fact that mammals live in cold waters, where you can easily freeze. It also saves animals during long migrations (with a long absence of food, whales live off fat) and provides them with buoyancy.

Blubber - this is how the fat of whales and other marine animals was called in the Middle Ages. It was produced by smelting from the fat of mammals. The resulting substance was distinguished by a yellowish tint and an unpleasant odor.

The largest species of whales is blue, they have a fat layer up to 30 centimeters in thickness. Usually it is 25-30% of their body weight (around 30 tons). In some individuals, this figure reaches up to 50%. In addition to the subcutaneous layer, fat can be found in other tissues, meat and even bones. To get a blubber, all these parts were boiled down.

Extraction and use

There are not many methods for processing fat. The oldest of them is digestion. Pieces of whale oil and meat were thrown into the furnace right on the ship, and then the resulting liquid was poured into barrels. Also, blubber was obtained in the Middle Ages with the help of reflux in the sun.

What is whale oil used for? Previously, jute was made from it, soap was made and used as lubricants. Over time, fat began to be filled into lanterns and lamps, and also used as fuel for equipment. Well, for example, in Japan, this organic substance was used as an insecticide that repels locusts.

So, where is whale oil used, we found out. It remains to tell about the method of its extraction. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, it has been hydrogenation. When using this processing method, the fat becomes solid and absolutely odorless. Since then, it has been used to make margarines and oils. Now whale oil is used mainly in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Well, people living in the northern regions still eat it.

Compound

Whale oil is a source of valuable substances that a person needs for good health. It has a fairly high content of vitamin A, which has antioxidant properties and stimulates the immune system. And whale liver oil is rich in vitamin D. The latter is responsible for cell growth and the production of several hormones.

However, there are a number of substances that you will not get from other products. Fatty acids are essential for humans. Well, the product described in the article contains many of them: arachidic, palmitic, olinic, laron and others.

It is also worth noting the presence of polyunsaturated acids, which are the most important substances. In whale oil, their content ranges from 30 to 40%. The human body is not capable of producing polyunsaturated acids on its own, which are involved in the regulation of several body functions (accumulation of cholesterol, etc.). Therefore, it is necessary to replenish their stock from the outside.

Beneficial features

So, we have described the composition of the product. But why do you still need whale oil? The polyunsaturated acids in it are omega-3. They help lower blood pressure in the vessels and prevent the formation of blood clots. In addition, omega-3s contribute to good vision and memory.

Whale fat also helps in preventing diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, asthma, osteochondrosis and sciatica. Due to its composition, it strengthens all tissues of the body. Whale fat boosts immunity, prevents oncology and speeds up metabolism.

The product rejuvenates the body and gives a person more energy and strength, helping to get out of depression. In pharmaceuticals, whale oil is used as a remedy for burns. It also promotes tissue healing. And in cosmetology, whale oil moisturizes the skin to give it elasticity and firmness.

weight loss

As strange as it may sound, with the help of whale oil you can lose weight. But this does not mean that you need to eat it in packs and stick to your old lifestyle. It in itself is very high-calorie, and if you absorb it in large quantities, then this will definitely not lead to harmony. The secret is different - a person needs whale fat with active weight loss. It supplies the necessary substances and when playing sports, in combination with a reasonable diet, it helps to gain muscle mass.

When losing weight, the body experiences serious stress, and whale fat helps to minimize it, providing the smoothest transition. The product contributes to the normalization of all important processes in the body. Eliminating toxins and helping to absorb nutrients from food are two more functions that whale oil performs in the body. In Kaliningrad and other cities of Russia, it can be freely bought in pharmacies.

Whale extermination

Despite all the benefits that a person receives from these animals, the mammals themselves have a hard time. Several thousand years ago, people used only whales that had washed ashore. But over time, their purposeful catching began, which reached such proportions that many mammals could disappear forever.

Endangered species include fin whales, blue whales, bowhead whales, and northern right whales. To prevent a sad outcome, hunting bans regularly appear. But the value of mammals did not decrease from this. Japan, Iceland and Norway regularly violate the imposed moratoriums. By the way, there is even a game in the MMORPG genre dedicated to whale hunting. It's called Black Desert. Whale oil there is one of the resources used in alchemy.

Many cosmetology and pharmaceutical firms support established moratoriums. They have learned how to make synthetic acids, no different from those found in whale oil. The effect of them is the same, and mammals do not suffer.

News and Society

Fat whale: application. What is whale oil for?

Whales became the victims of hunting in the waters of the North American coast in the seventeenth century. Even then, these mammals began to interest people. The goal was to extract whale oil. For this, a variety of types of these creatures were suitable.

Application methods

Until the second half of the nineteenth century, whale oil played the role of a product that was the only one able to satisfy any need for fatty fibers. It has been used for many processes. Whale oil was abundantly used for making soap and for producing manganese. Certain breeds could be suppliers of raw materials for the chemical industry.

In general, at that time there was a fairly wide range of what whale oil was used for. It was extracted from animals that were caught in the expanses of the Arctic and Antarctic. The most favorable time for this was considered spring and summer.

At this time, whale oil is especially concentrated in the well-fed bodies of animals. If we consider the blue representative of the species, it can supply miners with 19 thousand liters of fatty fibers. If you manage to catch a sperm whale, you will become the proud owner of 7.9 thousand liters.

The need to preserve the view

Whale oil was mined with great intensity, the use of which found new and interesting options. However, this did not have a positive effect on the population, because the number of blue, white and gray representatives of this species fell critically. They have almost completely disappeared. In view of the excitement that gave rise to whale oil, a special international commission was created to protect these animals.

Thus, it was possible to establish control over the population. Of course, there are many things for which whale oil is needed, but if you do not catch in moderation, then there will soon be no one to use.

The International Whaling Commission came into existence on December 2, 1946. At first, there was no effect, and the pace of hunting for mammals was just as deadly. The population of the blue, humpbacked species became ever smaller. The finned whale has almost completely ceased to exist.

Relevant today

In our time, to the question "why does a modern person need whale oil?" there are also many answers. It is still used in many industries today. The issue of limiting hunting is also acute. After all, over the centuries, animals became less and less. So that they do not die out, this issue needs to be regulated.

The importance of whaling is really difficult to overestimate. Many useful things can be learned from its products. If we take a closer look, we will see that many of the valuable substances that are obtained from the results of catching a whale are indeed of great importance. For example, blubber (the so-called fat-containing subcutaneous tissue) is suitable for the extraction of excellent fat. It is used to make a lamp work or when making soap.

Other useful substances

In addition to valuable fat, whale families are suppliers of delicious meat products. The bone of this animal is suitable for the manufacture of substances fertilizing the earth. Sperm whales are useful spermaceti - fat, which is located in the head. This substance is good to use for the preparation of ointments, cosmetics and candle products.

The sperm whale is an excellent supplier of such a useful material as ambergris, which is produced in these animals inside the intestines. It is used in the manufacture of perfumes. The tusks and tooth that the narwhal possesses are a very valuable bone, which is not inferior to that of an elephant. The skin worn by the white whale is suitable for the manufacture of leather products.

An interesting fact is that any cetacean creature is a mammal. The predecessors of these animals were terrestrial. Even the fins look like hands with five fingers. For many centuries of underwater life, the environment has contributed to adaptation to such a way of life.

The fight against poaching

As part of the fight against excessive destruction of whales, it was forbidden to use their fat for cosmetic purposes.

The malls that fill the world market must cleanse themselves somewhat of cosmetics containing a powerful and rare ingredient called "spermaceti". It is very similar to the human sebaceous cover under the skin. His action is amazing. Wounds heal instantly, along with any sunburn. The skin is rejuvenated and fundamentally moisturized. As far back as the eighteenth century, it was mined to make cosmetics.

Nowadays, a large number of animals are killed for the extraction of spermaceti. Fats of a whale are cooled and filtered, putting on a pressing. 1986 brought the adoption of a ban that did not allow the extraction of this substance. However, this did not stop the poachers, and they continued to hunt and illegally sell fat. Now there are organizations that are engaged in the fight against the criminal activities of hunters for a valuable substance.

criminal hunting

Russia can confidently be called the main exporter of illegally harvested fat. Most of the forbidden products come from the Primorsky region. Aroma Jazz is a domestic brand that produces cosmetics that include spermaceti.

Cream manufacturers do not want to abandon this substance, because synthetic analogues are not subject to such a striking effect. So say cosmetologists-dermatologists. The composition is so complex that scientists have not yet found a way to fully recreate it in the laboratory. Because of this, no one is in a hurry to exclude spermaceti from the composition of their beauty products. Of course, such an effective product is popular with the consumer.

Youth elixir

If you want to study spermaceti in its pure form, you will see frozen bars of fat. Regrettably, the poachers do not seek to hide their intentions and actively post sale ads on the websites of the cities of Vladivostok and Khabarovsk.

This business is profitable and not cheap. For 1 kilogram you need to pay at least one hundred dollars. More than one merchant may try to assure you that his actions are legal and legitimate, but in the vast majority of cases this is just a banal lie for profit. They may also claim that these products are from old batches. There is a very small percentage of the likelihood that this is not a lie, because spermaceti makes it possible to store it for many years.

In this case, damage does not occur. Consider, however, that with such abundant demand and good prices, old stock would have been sold out long ago and smeared on the faces of consumers who want to preserve their own youth.

Such products are purchased both by companies that do not want to be responsible for their actions, and beauticians who make creams at home for their own use or personal small business. Some may simply smear the skin with spermaceti without any treatment, believing that this is more effective, and they will certainly be forever young.

In any case, when buying this product, carefully study everything.

Man has been hunting whales for centuries. One reason is their fat. It finds application in various fields of human activity, and most importantly, it has vitamins and important trace elements. What is whale oil for? How is it mined?

Whaling

Whales are mammals that live in the water. Their sizes are huge. The average body length is 25 meters, and animals can weigh up to 150 tons. For example, extinct mammoths weighed only 15 tons.

Such large animals could not but attract people. According to historians, whaling has existed for four thousand years. Then there were quite a lot of them, much less than hunters. Over the millennia, the situation has changed a lot, and now many countries are introducing strict bans on the extermination of now endangered species of whales.

Animal production has been regulated since 1931. However, whaling is still popular, especially among countries such as Japan, Norway, Iceland, USA, Greenland, Canada and Russia.

At first, whale meat was highly valued, but then man learned to use all parts of animals. Their liver is rich in vitamin A, brains and glands are a source of hormones, such as insulin and adrenocorticotropic hormone. Blood, whale oil, skin, whalebone are also used, in perfumery ambergris is sometimes used. And from the bones of these mammals they used to make rafters for dwellings, they were ground into flour to fertilize the soil.

whale oil

Among all products obtained from whales, it is blubber that finds the most widespread use. It is found under the layer of animal skin in fairly large quantities. Whales live in extremely cold waters, so they need fat to stay warm. It also provides them with buoyancy and saves them during long migrations - in the absence of food, animals live off subcutaneous reserves.

In the Middle Ages, liquid whale oil, like the fat of other marine animals, was called blubber. It was made from the fat of mammals using smelting. The resulting substance had an unpleasant odor and a yellowish tint.

In representatives of the largest species, the blue whale, the fat layer can reach 30 centimeters in thickness. Their subcutaneous fat usually makes up 25-30% of their body weight (about 30 tons), in some individuals it reaches up to 50%. In addition to the subcutaneous layer, it is found in meat and other tissues and even in the bones. To obtain blubber, all these parts were boiled.

Extraction and use of whale oil

There are not so many ways to process fat. The most ancient of them is digestion. Pieces of meat and whale oil were thrown into the furnace right on the ship, and the resulting liquid was poured into barrels. In the Middle Ages, blubber was also obtained by rendering in the sun and called it "cheese".

What is whale oil used for? Soap was made from it, used as lubricants and for the production of jute. Over time, lamps and lanterns began to fill with fat, they used it as fuel for equipment. In Japan, the blubber served as a good insecticide, repelling locusts.

How is whale oil mined now? Since the 20th century, hydrogenation has been used to extract fat. With this method of processing, it becomes solid and absolutely odorless. This allowed it to be used to make oils and margarines. Now whale oil is used mainly in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. And the inhabitants of the northern regions eat it.

Compound

Whale oil is a source of valuable substances necessary for a person's well-being. It contains vitamin A, which stimulates the immune system and has antioxidant properties. Whale liver fat is rich in vitamin D. It is involved in the metabolic processes of the body, is responsible for the production of certain hormones and cell growth.

However, there are substances that, unlike vitamins A and D, cannot be obtained from other foods. Fatty acids are the main value. Thus, the subcutaneous layer of the whale contains laric, olinic, palmitic, arachidic and other acids.

The most important substances are polyunsaturated acids. They are contained in whale fat from 30 to 40%. The human body does not produce them itself, so we are forced to replenish their supply from the outside. They regulate a number of body functions, such as the functioning of the cardiovascular system, the accumulation of cholesterol, etc.

Beneficial features

So, a lot has been said about the composition of the product. But why is whale oil still needed? The polyunsaturated acids found in it are nothing but Omega-3. They contribute to good memory and vision, are responsible for lowering blood pressure and prevent the formation of blood clots in the vessels.

Whale oil helps prevent sciatica, osteochondrosis, asthma, diabetes and arthritis. It has a positive effect on body tissues, strengthening them. Whale oil speeds up metabolism, prevents cancer and improves immunity.

The product has a holistic effect on the body, rejuvenating it and giving a person more strength and energy. It helps to get out of depression. In cosmetology, fat is used to moisturize the skin to give it firmness and elasticity. It has a positive effect on nails and hair, making them strong. In pharmaceuticals, this component is used as a remedy for burns, softening tissues and promoting their healing.

Whale fat for weight loss

Oddly enough, with the help of fat you can lose weight. This does not mean that it is worth taking it in batches, continuing the old way of life. By itself, it is quite high-calorie, and taking it in batches can only make things worse.

Rather, the secret is that whale oil is needed when a person is actively losing weight. It supplies the body with all the necessary substances and, with a reasonable diet and sports, contributes to a set of muscle mass.

During weight loss, the body adapts to the new regimen, which means it experiences stress. Whale oil minimizes stress, promoting a smooth transition. The product normalizes all important processes in the body. It helps to properly assimilate the beneficial substances that we get from food, and, on the contrary, removes toxins.

Whale extermination

Despite the enormous benefits that people receive even from one whale, the animals themselves have a hard time. Thousands of years ago, man used only mammals that washed ashore. Over time, whale catching has become so widespread that some animal species are in danger of disappearing forever.

Endangered species include fin whales, blue whales, bowhead whales, and northern right whales. To prevent a sad outcome, hunting bans are regularly introduced. The value of animals has not diminished, countries such as Norway, Iceland and Japan regularly violate moratoriums.

Many pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies support the ban and make synthetic acids that are no different from those found in whale oil. Their effect is the same, but the animals do not suffer.

Whales became the victims of hunting in the waters of the North American coast in the seventeenth century. Even then, these mammals began to interest people. The goal was to extract whale oil. For this, a variety of types of these creatures were suitable.

Application methods

Until the second half of the nineteenth century, whale oil played the role of a product that was the only one able to satisfy any need for fatty fibers. It has been used for many processes. Whale oil was abundantly used for making soap and for producing manganese. Certain breeds could be suppliers of raw materials for the chemical industry.

In general, at that time there was a fairly wide range of what whale oil was used for. It was extracted from animals that were caught in the expanses of the Arctic and Antarctic. The most favorable time for this was considered spring and summer.

At this time, whale oil is especially concentrated in the well-fed bodies of animals. If we consider the blue representative of the species, it can supply miners with 19 thousand liters of fatty fibers. If you manage to catch a sperm whale, you will become the proud owner of 7.9 thousand liters.

The need to preserve the view

Whale oil was mined with great intensity, the use of which found new and interesting options. However, this did not have a positive effect on the population, because the number of blue, white and gray representatives of this species fell critically. They have almost completely disappeared. In view of the excitement that gave rise to whale oil, a special international commission was created to protect these animals.

Thus, it was possible to establish control over the population. Of course, there are many things for which whale oil is needed, but if you do not catch in moderation, then there will soon be no one to use.

The International Whaling Commission came into existence on December 2, 1946. At first, there was no effect, and the pace of hunting for mammals was just as deadly. The population of the blue, humpbacked species became ever smaller. The finned whale has almost completely ceased to exist.

Relevant today

In our time, to the question "why does a modern person need whale oil?" there are also many answers. It is still used in many industries today. The issue of limiting hunting is also acute. After all, over the centuries, animals became less and less. So that they do not die out, this issue needs to be regulated.

The importance is really difficult to overestimate. Many useful things can be learned from its products. If we take a closer look, we will see that many of the valuable substances that are obtained from the results of catching a whale are indeed of great importance. For example, blubber (the so-called fat-containing subcutaneous tissue) is suitable for the extraction of excellent fat. It is used to make a lamp work or when making soap.

Other useful substances

In addition to valuable fat, whale families are suppliers of delicious meat products. The bone of this animal is suitable for the manufacture of substances fertilizing the earth. Sperm whales are useful spermaceti - fat, which is located in the head. This substance is good to use for the preparation of ointments, cosmetics and candle products.

The sperm whale is an excellent supplier of such a useful material as ambergris, which is produced in these animals inside the intestines. It is used in the manufacture of perfumes. The tusks and tooth that the narwhal possesses are a very valuable bone, which is not inferior to that of an elephant. The skin worn by the white whale is suitable for the manufacture of leather products.

An interesting fact is that any cetacean creature is a mammal. The predecessors of these animals were terrestrial. Even the fins look like hands with five fingers. For many centuries of underwater life, the environment has contributed to adaptation to such a way of life.

The fight against poaching

As part of the fight against excessive destruction of whales, it was forbidden to use their fat for cosmetic purposes.

The malls that fill the world market must cleanse themselves somewhat of cosmetics containing a powerful and rare ingredient called "spermaceti". It is very similar to the human sebaceous cover under the skin. His action is amazing. Wounds heal instantly along with any. The skin is rejuvenated and fundamentally moisturized. As far back as the eighteenth century, it was mined to make cosmetics.

Nowadays, a large number of animals are killed for the extraction of spermaceti. cooled and filtered, putting on the pressing. 1986 brought the adoption of a ban that did not allow the extraction of this substance. However, this did not stop the poachers, and they continued to hunt and illegally sell fat. Now there are organizations that are engaged in the fight against the criminal activities of hunters for a valuable substance.

criminal hunting

Russia can confidently be called the main exporter of illegally harvested fat. Most of the forbidden products come from the Primorsky region. Aroma Jazz is a domestic brand that produces cosmetics that include spermaceti.

Cream manufacturers do not want to abandon this substance, because synthetic analogues are not subject to such a striking effect. So say cosmetologists-dermatologists. The composition is so complex that scientists have not yet found a way to fully recreate it in the laboratory. Because of this, no one is in a hurry to exclude spermaceti from the composition of their beauty products. Of course, such an effective product is popular with the consumer.

Youth elixir

If you want to study spermaceti in its pure form, you will see frozen bars of fat. Regrettably, the poachers do not seek to hide their intentions and actively post sale ads on the websites of the cities of Vladivostok and Khabarovsk.

This business is profitable and not cheap. For 1 kilogram you need to pay at least one hundred dollars. More than one merchant may try to assure you that his actions are legal and legitimate, but in the vast majority of cases this is just a banal lie for profit. They may also claim that these products are from old batches. There is a very small percentage of the likelihood that this is not a lie, because spermaceti makes it possible to store it for many years.

In this case, damage does not occur. Consider, however, that with such abundant demand and good prices, old stock would have been sold out long ago and smeared on the faces of consumers who want to preserve their own youth.

Such products are purchased both by companies that do not want to be responsible for their actions, and beauticians who make creams at home for their own use or personal small business. Some may simply smear the skin with spermaceti without any treatment, believing that this is more effective, and they will certainly be forever young.

In any case, when buying this product, carefully study everything.

A friend and I were recently watching a documentary about blue whales when he suddenly said, “Did you know that the Japanese still hunt whales for their blubber. They use it as a lubricant for new cars. Also, whale oil is considered a better lubricant than gasoline-based lubricants.” Let's see, is that right?

Once upon a time, whale oil was indeed used as a lubricant for new cars in the US and Japan. However, it was banned from cars sold in the US in the early 1970s due to environmental concerns. Automatic transmissions immediately began to have problems, some even claim that their quality will never be the same as before. Therefore, you should hurry to buy magical whale oil as soon as possible, before it is too late and it does not disappear at all.

Do you take this statement at face value? Not that the promoters of commercial products ever lie, but there are certain nuances they do not mention.

Let's start with whale oil. Surprisingly, although its use peaked in 1850 after the invention of kerosene, whale oil continued to be used commercially for a long time (once it was even used to make margarine). Particularly liked in the automotive industry is sperm whale oil, which is actually a liquid wax obtained from sperm whale oil, which, in combination with sulfur, makes an excellent automotive lubricant that does not lose its properties at high pressure and low temperature, and also protects from corrosion. When the need for reliable automatic transmissions arose, using sperm whale oil as a "friction modifier" became the obvious choice.

Unfortunately for the sperm whales, the resulting lubricant was of very high quality. Partly as a result of demand from the automotive industry, huge mammals are on the brink of extinction. In 1970, the US declared that sperm whales and seven other species of whales were protected by the state, which meant not only that the Americans could not hunt them, but also that products of whale origin could not be imported. Beginning in 1973, American automakers switched to new automatic transmission fluids that did not contain whale oil.

So what happened in the end? At least 5,500 automatic transmissions in cars manufactured between 1973 and 1975 broke beyond repair. Corrosion of the solder joints in the transmission cooling system allowed the antifreeze and transmission fluid to mix with disastrous results. In the news of the time, General Motors, a manufacturer of cars with defective gearboxes, declared the lack of whale oil to be a problem. Implying that this was not the fault of the company itself, but rather of conservationists.

If you read the news carefully, you will notice that the transmissions made by General Motors were not automatic. These were two other specific types: the Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 and 400. Poor transmissions accounted for only one sixth of one percent of these units installed by General Motors at the time. Looking for confirmation of automatic transmission failures in the mid-1970s, we looked through the technical literature, as well as surveys on the frequency of repairs in the magazine Customer Reports, but found nothing.

It follows that the real problem was a defect in the design of the gearboxes produced by General Motors, and not the lack of whale oil, as claimed. Be that as it may, General Motors reissued the solder joints and changed the lubricating fluid, and the problem disappeared.

However, you can still find people who feel that automatic transmissions are not as reliable as those made during the whale blubber era. I think it's all nonsense. In the early 1960s, for example, a typical automatic transmission manufactured by General Motors could stall after 25,000 to 40,000 miles (40,233 to 64,374 km); by the 1980s, this had risen to 100,000 miles (161,000 km). Fortunately, the industry has found equal or even better substitutes for lubricants based on whale oil.

So far we've been talking about the US, but what about Japan? Since the Japanese are on their own, I wouldn't be surprised by their ingredients in lubricants. However, the International Whaling Commission claims that between 1993 and 2009, the Japanese killed 47 sperm whales. During this time, Japanese automakers built 178,000,000 vehicles. Assuming that (a) half of the cars produced had automatic transmissions, (b) the average sperm whale produces 30 barrels of oil, and (c) all of that fat is spent on transmission fluid (although this is just an assumption), so less than half goes into each car. a teaspoon of fat.