Vitamin B Test

What is a vitamin B test?

A vitamin B test measures the amount of one or more B vitamins in your blood or urine (pee). B vitamins are nutrients that your body needs to work well and stay healthy. There are eight different types. All together, they are called the “B vitamin complex.”

In general, B vitamins help your body:

• Maintain normal metabolism (the process your body uses to make energy from food you eat)
• Make healthy blood cells
• Keep your nervous system working properly

In addition to these general functions, each type of B vitamin can also play a more specialized role:

• B1, (thiamine) helps your muscles function.
• B2, (riboflavin) helps your body digest medicine.
• B3, (niacin, also called nicotinic acid and nicotinamide) helps your skin health. It also improves your cholesterol levels by helping to increase your good cholesterol (HDL) and decrease your bad cholesterol (LDL).
• B5, (pantothenic acid) helps your body break down fats and make hormones and cholesterol.
• B6, (pyridoxal phosphate) helps brain development during pregnancy and infancy.
• B7, (biotin) helps your body grow.
• B9, (folate or folic acid) helps your body make healthy new cells.
• B12, (cobalamin) gives your body energy and helps keep your nerves and blood cells healthy.

B9 and B12 are often measured together in a vitamin B12 and folate test.

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

What is it used for?

Vitamin B testing is used if you have symptoms that suggest you may not be getting enough of one or more B vitamins. For example, a vitamin B12 and folate test is often used for symptoms of certain types of anemia.

A lack of B vitamins is called a vitamin B deficiency. Vitamin B deficiencies are not as common in the United States, because many everyday foods are fortified with B vitamins. These foods include cereals, breads, and pasta. However, even if you don’t eat any of these fortified foods, you can still get plenty of vitamin B from leafy green vegetables, meats, eggs, milk and other dairy products, and whole grains.

If you do have a deficiency in one or more of the B vitamins, it can cause serious health problems, including:

• Nerve disorders
• Paralysis
• Muscle problems
• Cognitive problems
• Memory loss

Why do I need a vitamin B test?

You may need a vitamin B test if you have symptoms that could mean you're lacking certain B vitamins. The symptoms depend on which type of a vitamin B deficiency you have.

For example, common symptoms from a lack of vitamin B6 may include:

• Itchy rashes
• Cracks at the corners of the mouth
• Scaly skin on the lips
• Swollen tongue

Common symptoms from a lack of vitamin B12 may include:

• Fatigue
• Arrhythmia (problems with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat)
• Weight loss when you're not trying to lose weight
• Tingly or numb hands and feet (a sign of nerve problems)

If you have a vitamin B deficiency, you may also experience:

• Weakness
• Mood changes such as depression and anxiety
• Memory loss and/or confusion
• New difficulties sleeping
• Thinning and loss of hair

You may also need vitamin B testing if you have a condition or habits that increase your risk of having a vitamin B deficiency even if you don’t have any symptoms. That’s because certain diets and health conditions can affect how well your body absorbs vitamin B. These risk factors include:

• Celiac or Crohn's disease.
• Alcohol use disorder (AUD).
• Malabsorption syndrome.
• Not eating foods that are rich in B vitamins, such as animal products (meat, eggs, and/or dairy foods).
• Having had surgery on your digestive system, including gastric bypass surgery for weight loss.
• Taking certain medicines that affect how your body uses certain B vitamins.
• Certain gene changes. For example, a change in the MTFHR gene can make it harder for your body to break down B12.

What happens during a vitamin B test?

Vitamin B levels may be checked in blood or urine.

For 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.

For a urine test, you may have a random urine test or a 24-hour urine sample test.

For a random urine test, you will provide a single sample of urine at any time of the day. You'll usually collect your sample at your health care provider's office or a lab.

For a 24-hour urine sample test, you'll need to collect all your urine during a 24-hour period. You will be given a special container to collect your urine and instructions on how to collect and store your sample. Your provider will tell you what time to start. The test generally includes the following steps:

• To begin, urinate in the toilet as usual. Do not collect this urine. Write down the time you urinated.
• For the next 24 hours, collect all your urine in the container.
• During the collection period, store the urine container in a refrigerator or cooler with ice.
• 24 hours after starting the test, try to urinate if you can. This is the last urine collection for the test.
• Return the container with your urine to your provider's office or the laboratory as instructed.

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

Before a vitamin B blood test, you may need to fast (not eat or drink) for several hours before the test. A urine test doesn't require any special preparations.

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?

Your results will show the amount of each B vitamin that was tested. If your vitamin B levels are normal, but you have symptoms, you may need other tests to diagnose your condition.

If you’re lacking in one or more B vitamins, you may need other tests to find out why. In some cases, your provider may recommend taking vitamin B supplements (in some cases by intravenous, or IV, treatment). However, having large amounts of B vitamins in your body can also cause health problems or be due to an underlying health condition such as liver disease.

B vitamin supplements may also affect the way certain medicines work. So, your provider will consider your health history before prescribing any supplements.

The meaning of vitamin B test results isn’t always clear. That’s because several things can affect the results, including inflammation in your body and certain medicines. And medical experts aren’t sure what a normal level is for certain B vitamins. Different labs have different ranges for normal levels, too. Your provider can explain what your test results say about your health.

Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.