Explain why poor diet can cause a change in the number of red blood cells.

Iron in an essential micronutrient that can be obtained from the diet of an individual. Foods that are high in iron include red meat, dark green leaf vegetables such as spinach , and legumes. Having a poor diet means that the chances of micronutrient deficiencies are higher therefore there are higher chances of iron deficiency. Iron is essential for red blood cell production. It is found in haemoglobin in red blood cells which are responsible for carrying oxygen around the body. When there is a depletion of iron in the body, red blood cell production is reduced therefore the number of red blood cells in the body are reduced.