Nutritional anemias, although rare, are associated with poor bone marrow cell production and low reticulocyte counts and indices. Starvation leads to an overall failure to make new red blood cells, for lack of raw material. Another way to starve, even though you may be eating enough, is for your intestines to not absorb the food. When you fail to absorb what you eat, you will have diarrhea and weight loss in addition to the anemia.

Iron, vitamin B12 and folate deficiencies can produce a nutritional anemia, but these are discussed elsewhere under Iron Deficiency Anemia or Megaloblastic Anemia. Vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron.