A recent review co-authored by Pr. Ralph Green, M.D., Ph.D., Distinguished Professor and Hematopathologist in the UC Davis Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, draws attention to an often-overlooked dimension of nutritional anemia. While iron, vitamin B12, and folate are usually the focus of testing and treatment, the review points to a broader set of micronutrients that are also essential for healthy red blood cell production.
These include vitamin A, vitamin B6, riboflavin, vitamin C, vitamin E, and trace elements such as copper, zinc, and selenium. When these nutrients are insufficient, anemia can develop—or persist—even when conventional deficiencies have been corrected.
These insights are particularly relevant as GLP-1 therapies reshape the treatment of obesity and metabolic disease. By reducing appetite and overall food intake, these therapies may increase the risk of micronutrient inadequacy if dietary quality is not carefully maintained. This highlights an important opportunity for precision nutrition approaches that monitor micronutrient status and support nutrient-dense dietary patterns as part of comprehensive metabolic care.
