A study has found that excessive use of vitamin pills may increase the risk of malignant lung cancer.
Generally, people take vitamin A tablets to improve their immune system and eyesight. However, experts from Peking University in China have warned people that these vitamin pills can cause lung cancer.
Previous research has shown that excessive consumption of vitamin A may increase the risk of ovarian cancer. This is the first time that vitamin A pills have been linked to lung cancer.
A study published in Frontiers in Nutrition found that excessive use of vitamin A pills increased the risk of squamous cell and adenocarcinoma lung cancers.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in the UK. Each year, 47,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer in the UK, and 34,700 people die from the disease.
Both squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma are common types of lung cancer. Of the two, adenocarcinoma is the most common type and begins in the cells of the mucus-producing glands.