This is really spooky but I have just read an article on anaemia in an old copy of Woman & Home I was about to chuck out...
On the causes, this is what it says: "normal menstruation can affect the balance of iron in the body. Women need about 15mg to 18mg a day, and it can be hard to get this if you don't eat much red meat. If heavy periods aren't the cause, then investigate whether there is bleeding from the gut, which could indicate a stomach ulcer or even early bowel cancer. If a woman has a Middle Eastern, Asian or Mediterranean background, a low haemoglobin count together with some other features on the blood count (it doesn't specify what - R) easily mistaken for iron deficiency could indicate that she's a carrier of thalassaemia, a genetic condition which, if passed to a baby by both parents, can cause very serious anaemia."
Apparently the foods to eat are: red meat, eggs, cereals, pulses, leafy green veg and dried apricots. You need vitamin C to absorb iron, so drink orange juice with meals. Avoid tea, coffee, milk and wine with meals as these inhibit absorption of iron.
It also gives a web address for info: www.anaemiaweb.org.
The journalist who wrote the article, Marianne Kavanagh, took a supplement called Floravital from her health food shop, which she says worked wonders for her.
If you like, I'll try to scan the article and email it to you.