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Vitamin B Test

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What is a vitamin B test?

This test measures the amount of one or more B vitamins in your blood or urine. B vitamins are nutrients the body needs so that it can perform a variety of essential functions. These include:

  • Maintaining normal metabolism (the process of how your body uses food and energy)
  • Making healthy blood cells
  • Helping the nervous system work properly
  • Reducing the risk of heart disease
  • Helping to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL)

There are several types of B vitamins. These vitamins, also known as the B vitamin complex, include the following:

  • B1, thiamine
  • B2, riboflavin
  • B3, niacin
  • B5, pantothenic acid
  • B6, pyridoxal phosphate
  • B7, biotin
  • B9, folic acid (or folate) and B12, cobalamin. These two B vitamins are often measured together in a test called vitamin B12 and folate.

Vitamin B deficiencies are rare in the United States, because many everyday foods are fortified with B vitamins. These foods include cereals, breads, and pasta. Also, B vitamins are found naturally in a variety of foods, including leafy green vegetables and whole grains. But if you do have a deficiency in any of the B vitamins, it can cause serious health problems.

Other names: vitamin B testing, vitamin B complex, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxal phosphate (B6), biotin (B7), vitamin B12 and folate

What is it used for?

Vitamin B testing is used to find out if your body is not getting enough of one or more B vitamins (vitamin B deficiency). A vitamin B12 and folate test is often used to check for certain types of anaemia.

Why do I need a vitamin B test?

You may need this test if you have symptoms of a vitamin B deficiency. Symptoms vary depending on which B vitamin is deficient, but some common symptoms include:

  • Rash
  • Tingling or burning in the hands and feet
  • Cracked lips or mouth sores
  • Weight loss
  • Weakness
  • Fatigue
  • Mood changes

You may also need testing if you have certain risk factors. You may be at a higher risk for a vitamin B deficiency if you have:

  • Celiac disease
  • Had gastric bypass surgery
  • A family history of anaemia
  • Symptoms of anaemia, which include fatigue, pale skin, and dizziness
See also  Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) Tumor Marker Test

What happens during a vitamin B test?

Vitamin B levels may be checked in blood or urine.

During a blood test, a health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This usually takes less than five minutes.

Vitamin B urine testing may be ordered as a 24-hour urine sample test or a random urine test.

For a 24-hour urine sample test, you’ll need to collect all urine passed in a 24-hour period. This is called a 24-hour urine sample test. Your health care provider or a laboratory professional will give a container to collect your urine and instructions on how to collect and store your samples. A 24-hour urine sample test generally includes the following steps:

  • Empty your bladder in the morning and flush that urine away. Record the time.
  • For the next 24 hours, save all your urine passed in the container provided.
  • Store your urine container in the refrigerator or a cooler with ice.
  • Return the sample container to your health provider’s office or the laboratory as instructed.

For a random urine test, your sample of urine may be collected any time of the day.

Will I need to do anything to prepare for the test?

If you are having a vitamin B blood test, you may need to fast (not eat or drink) for several hours before the test.

You don’t need any special preparations for a urine test.

Are there any risks to the test?

There is very little risk to having a blood test. You may experience slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly.

There is no known risk to having a urine test.

What do the results mean?

If your results show you have a vitamin B deficiency, it can mean you have:

  • Malnutrition, a condition that happens when you don’t get enough nutrients in your diet.
  • A malabsorption syndrome, a type of disorder where your small intestine can’t absorb enough nutrients from food. Malabsorption syndromes include celiac disease and Crohn’s disease.
See also  Protein in Urine

Vitamin B12 deficiencies are most often caused by pernicious anemia, a condition in which the body does not make enough healthy red blood cells.

If you have questions about your results, talk to your health care provider.

Is there anything else I need to know about vitamin B testing?

Vitamin B6, folic acid (vitamin B9), and vitamin B12 play a key role in maintaining a healthy pregnancy. While pregnant women are not routinely tested for vitamin B deficiencies, nearly all pregnant women are encouraged to take prenatal vitamins, which include B vitamins. Folic acid, in particular, can help prevent birth defects of the brain and spine when taken during pregnancy.

References

  1. American Pregnancy Association [Internet]. Irving (TX): American Pregnancy Association; c2019. Roles of Vitamin B in Pregnancy; [updated 2019 Jan 3; cited 2019 Feb 11]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/vitamin-b-pregnancy
  2. Cleveland Clinic [Internet]. Cleveland (OH): Cleveland Clinic; c2019. Vitamins: The Basics; [cited 2019 Feb 11]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/15847-vitamins-the-basics
  3. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health [Internet]. Boston: The President and Fellows of Harvard College; c2019. Three of the B Vitamins: Folate, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12; [cited 2019 Feb 11]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vitamins/vitamin-b
  4. Lab Tests Online [Internet]. Washington D.C.: American Association for Clinical Chemistry; c2001–2019. B Vitamins; [updated 2018 Dec 22; cited 2019 Feb 11]; [about 2 screens]. Available from: https://labtestsonline.org/tests/b-vitamins
  5. Lab Tests Online [Internet]. Washington D.C.: American Association for Clinical Chemistry; c2001–2019. Random Urine Sample; [updated 2017 Jul 10; cited 2019 Feb 11]; [about 2 screens]. Available from: https://labtestsonline.org/glossary/random-urine
  6. Lab Tests Online [Internet]. Washington D.C.: American Association for Clinical Chemistry; c2001–2019. 24-Hour Urine Sample; [updated 2017 Jul 10; cited 2019 Feb 11]; [about 2 screens]. Available from: https://labtestsonline.org/glossary/urine-24
  7. Lab Tests Online [Internet]. Washington D.C.: American Association for Clinical Chemistry; c2001–2019. Malnutrition; [updated 2018 Aug 29; cited 2019 Feb 11]; [about 2 screens]. Available from: https://labtestsonline.org/conditions/malnutrition
  8. Lab Tests Online [Internet]. Washington D.C.: American Association for Clinical Chemistry; c2001–2019. Vitamin B12 and Folate; [updated 2019 Jan 20; cited 2019 Feb 11]; [about 2 screens]. Available from: https://labtestsonline.org/tests/vitamin-b12-and-folate
  9. Mayo Clinic [Internet]. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; c1998–2019. Anemia: Symptoms and causes; 2017 Aug 8 [cited 2019 Feb 11]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20351360
  10. National Cancer Institute [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms: malabsorption syndrome; [cited 2019 Feb 11]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/malabsorption-syndrome
  11. National Cancer Institute [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms: vitamin B complex; [cited 2020 Jul 22]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/vitamin-b-complex
  12. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Blood Tests; [cited 2019 Feb 11]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/blood-tests
  13. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Pernicious Anemia; [cited 2019 Feb 11]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/pernicious-anemia
  14. UF Health: University of Florida Health [Internet]. University of Florida; c2019. Vitamin B12 level: Overview; [updated 2019 Feb 11; cited 2019 Feb 11]; [about 2 screens]. Available from: https://ufhealth.org/vitamin-b12-level
  15. University of Rochester Medical Center [Internet]. Rochester (NY): University of Rochester Medical Center; c2019. Health Encyclopedia: Vitamin B Complex; [cited 2019 Feb 11]; [about 2 screens]. Available from: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=19&contentid=BComplex
  16. University of Rochester Medical Center [Internet]. Rochester (NY): University of Rochester Medical Center; c2019. Health Encyclopedia: Vitamin B-12 and Folate; [cited 2019 Feb 11]; [about 2 screens]. Available from: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=167&contentid=vitamin_b12_folate
  17. UW Health [Internet]. Madison (WI): University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority; c2019. Health Information: Metabolism; [updated 2017 Oct 19; cited 2019 Feb 11]; [about 2 screens]. Available from: https://www.uwhealth.org/health/topic/definition/metabolism/stm159337.html#stm159337-sec
  18. UW Health [Internet]. Madison (WI): University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority; c2018. Health Information: Vitamin B12 Test: Results; [updated 2017 Oct 9; cited 2019 Feb 12]; [about 8 screens]. Available from: https://www.uwhealth.org/health/topic/medicaltest/vitamin-b12-test/hw43820.html#hw43847
  19. UW Health [Internet]. Madison (WI): University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority; c2018. Health Information: Vitamin B12 Test: Why It Is Done;s [updated 2017 Oct 9; cited 2019 Feb 12]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://www.uwhealth.org/health/topic/medicaltest/vitamin-b12-test/hw43820.html#hw43828
See also  Blood in Urine

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