Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12
- This test is meant to measure the level of Vitamin B12 in the body.
- No special preparation is required.
- This test would provide a value for the total amount of Vitamin B12 measured in picograms per ml. Its value normally ranges between 200 and 1000.
What is Vitamin B12 ?
Vitamin B12 alongwith Vitamin D is one of the very important Vitamin for several of the bodily processes. Its important functions include the functioning of the nerves and production of DNA and RBC’s. Since Vitamin B12 is mainly sourced from animal meat, most of the Indians are deficient in Vitamin B12. This leads to symptoms of fatigue, numbness in the limbs, constipation and weight loss. Very rarely would you find a person having higher than normal values for Vitamin B12. This could be due to Liver disease or Diabetes.
Reported Parameters
Vitamin B12 Value is measured in picogram per ml (pg/ml) and is mostly in the range of 200 – 900.
All The Questions that you might have
- Who should get a Vitamin B12 Test ?
- What causes Vitamin B12 deficiency in the body ?
- How to interpret the results of Vitamin B12 Test ?
- How is the Vitamin B12 test done?
- What is to be done for low levels of Vitamin B12 ?
- How often Vitamin B12 levels should be checked?
You should get a Vitamin B12 test on the advice of your doctor if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms :
- Fatigue
- Numbness and tingling in the hands or the legs
- Dementia
- Confusion
- Weak memory
- Imbalance in body
- fast heartbeat
- sore mouth
You can have low levels of Vitamin B12 if you have problems with the digestive system due to low acid production. It is the gastric acid in the stomach which extracts Vitamin B12 from the food so that the intestine can absorb it into the blood. Animal meat is a rich source of Vitamin B12 and therefore vegetarian people tend to have lower levels of Vitamin B12. Other conditions in which low level of Vitamin B12 is suspected are :
- Older people
- Children
- Diabetics
- Patients of Crohn’s disease and Celiac Disease
- Post Bariatric Surgery
- Breastfeeding mothers
The following groups of people are more likely than others to experience low vitamin B-12 levels:
Vitamin B12 is measured in picograms per ml. If your Vitamin B12 value is lower than 200 pg/ml then you have Vitamin B12 deficiency and need to take supplements for the same. A value between 200 – 900 pg/ml is considered normal. However if your test results reveal a value higher than 900 pg/ml then it could be an early sign for liver disease and let your doctor interpret it for you depending on a lot of other factors.
The Vitamin B12 test is a simple blood test with no need for fasting before the test. The blood sample can be taken by the phlebotomist at a pathology lab. The test is done on a machine called Immunoassay analyzer. The report is available within 3-4 hours from the sample being taken.
If you are a non-vegetarian or eat animal meat only occasionally then you need to take supplements for Vitamin B12. There are many OTC multivitamins available in the market and you can take one capsule a day for around 15 days. Give a gap of 15 days and then repeat the course for 15 days. You should get your vitamin B12 levels checked after 3 months of taking a course of Vitamin B12 supplements. Non-vegetarian people can get Vitamin B12 naturally from their diet if they consume more of fish, meat and eggs. Dairy products also have Vitamin B12 but much less than the animal meat.
If you have low levels of Vitamin B12 then you should take supplements for 3 months before repeating the test to find a meaningful difference.
