Description

Vitamin B12 Blood Test

Vitamin B12 is a very important nutrient that is involved in producing red blood cells, maintaining a healthy nervous system, and converting food to energy. It also helps to control the immune system and mood.

Causes of Vitamin B12 deficiency

For the majority of people, the cause of their deficiency is dietary, especially if they are vegetarian or vegan. However, some people are unable to absorb Vitamin B12 from food and some take medications which can reduce the absorption of Vitamin B12 from the stomach, such as metformin (which is used for diabetes) or omeprazole (which is often prescribed for indigestion).

Symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency

As Vitamin B12 is essential for making red blood cells. Lack of this vitamin can cause anaemia which will give you the symptoms of tiredness, lack of energy, breathlessness, headaches and maybe even dizziness.

It is however possible to have low vitamin B12 without anaemia but may affect the nervous and immune systems which may cause symptoms such as pins and needles, altered vision, mouth ulcers or tongue soreness, forgetfulness and muscle weakness.

Foods rich in Vitamin B12

It is only naturally found in animal products including meat, eggs, fish, milk and dairy products.
Plants do not make B12 and so will not provide this vitamin. Foods richest in B12 include:

Liver and organ meats
Shellfish
Clams
Oysters

If you are not keen on seafood , B12 can also be found in:

Lamb
Beef
Eggs
Cheese

It is worth checking on cereal packets as some breakfast products are fortified with Vitamin B12.

Testing for Vitamin B12

The test can be performed using a small amount of blood from a finger prick which you can do yourself.

How often should I have a Vitamin B12 blood test?

We recommend checking your Vitamin B12 levels annually unless you experience any health changes or commence a weight loss programme which involves a restricted diet.