Vitamin A Linked To Issues In Embryonic Development

New findings published in the journal Stem Cell Reports shows that vitamin A can be dangerous when in high doses.

Researchers from Lund Stem Cell Center in Sweden found that increasing levels of vitamin A could significantly reduce the number of blood cells that are produced. On the other hand, a reduction in vitamin A was found to significantly increase the production of blood cells.

They examined how retinoic acid, a signal molecule that's a product of vitamin and also found in a growing embryo, could affect the production of blood cells. 

"Our results show that vitamin A in high doses has a negative effect on blood development. This suggests that there is an additional reason for pregnant women to avoid excessive intake of vitamin A during pregnancy," said lead study author Professor Niels-Bjarne Woods, in a news release. "The current research findings increase our understanding of the complexity of the process of blood formation during embryonic development. We hope that this, together with new future discoveries, will lead to the generation of blood stem cells in the laboratory, which in turn can be used to treat blood disorders and malignancies."

Researchers concluded that the latest findings suggest that too much of the vitamin could actually hurt an unborn fetus by increasing the risk of malformation--thus increasing the risk of miscarriage.