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I thought this might be of general interest to some others on the list, so
I'm posting to the entire list:

My medical encyclopedia says: "If insufficient amounts of the vitamins B12
or folic acid reach the bone marrow, it produces fewer red blood cells,
which are abnormally large (see anemia, megaloblastic). The vitamin
deficiency may be due to a poor diet or more often developed countries to a
failure to absorb vitamin B12 correctly from the intestinal tract." This
may also be caused by pernicious anemia which comes with the inability to
absorb the vitamin.

Vitamin B12 is found only in food of animal origin: meat, fish and dairy
products.

"The most common cause of such a deficiency is called pernicious anemia; it
is caused by failure of the stomach lining to produce intrinsic factor,
usually  because of an autoimmune disorder, in which antibodies are
produced that block the production of intrinsic factor. "

This is due to a folic acid deficiency and is why celiacs should be taking
folic acid supplements. "Present to some extent in many foods, folic acid
is found mainly in green vegetables and liver. However, unlike vitamin B12,
it is not stored in the body in large amounts; therefore, a constant supply
is needed (and pregnant woment require supplements). . . . Deficiency is
also caused by .  .  . . celiac sprue. . . ."

"Many people with mild megaloblastic anemia have no symptoms. In others,
symptoms may include any or all of the following: tiredness, headaches, a
sore mouth and tongue, weight loss, and, in  pernicious anemia, jaundice,
shown by a slight yellow tint to the skin. In sever cases ther may also be
breathlessness, chest pain, ans sometimes loss of balance and tingling in
the feet due to damage to the nervous system from lack of the vitamins." -vance