The role of micronutrient deficiencies in nutritional anemia beyond iron: An expert perspective on the scope and strength of the current evidence

There is a tacit assumption that the majority of nutritional anemia is caused by iron deficiency. However, several other key micronutrients are involved in iron and/or erythrocyte metabolism and thus play a role in the development of nutritional anemia. This consensus paper provides an updated review that synthesizes current evidence on the role of individual micronutrients, beyond iron, in the development of nutritional anemia and identifies emerging hypotheses and potential mechanistic links to erythropoiesis and iron metabolism involving nutrients of both established and growing interest.