Vitamin A supplementation in children with poor vitamin A and iron status increases erythropoietin and hemoglobin concentrations without changing total body iron

Vitamin A deficiency impairs iron metabolism; vitamin A supplementation of vitamin A-deficient populations may reduce anemia. The mechanism of these effects is unclear. In vitro and in animal models, vitamin A treatment increases the production of erythropoietin (EPO), a stimulant of erythropoiesis.