Vitamin B 12 Levels
Are A Worthless Test

There are several different tests in which your Vitamin B 12 Levelsmight be checked, but there is only one test that you SHOULD have checked in order to find out your b12 levels- and it’s not what you (or your doctor) probably think.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency, also called Cobalamin deficiency is a big problem with an easy solution- if it is actually diagnosed. But unfortunately, it is not diagnosed in the majority of cases. In fact, Vitamin B12 deficiency is so prevalent that it's estimated to be present in almost 40% of the population, yet it is very rarely diagnosed. The extremely common Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms include problems such as:

  • Fatigue
  • Weakness
  • Depression
  • Brain fog
  • Mental Changes from B12 Deficiency
  •  

     

    Yet clinicians almost never suspect these common symptoms as being from B12 Malapsorption, instead often calling them Early Symptoms of Fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. But if you are lucky enough to have your doctor suspect vitamin B12 deficiency and actually test your Vitamin B 12 Levels, it’s likely that he will often do the wrong tests to find it!

    And unfortunately, when these tests come back normal, it will give you and your doctor a false belief that you do NOT have Vitamin B12 deficiency, or that you cannot benefit from taking Vitamin B12, particularly in the form of Methylcobalamin B12, when you actually still might!

    Vitamin B12 Levels are Inaccurate and Worthless

    The MCV Can Test Vitamin B12 Levels

    The first and most common Vitamin B12 blood test that is done is actually not for Vitamin B12 at all. When laboratories do a regular Complete Blood Count or ‘CBC’, they further categorize this test by measuring the size of the red blood cell and the number of them on the portion of the test called an MCV Blood Test. If the cells come back larger than normal with fewer of them, you will be said to have Macrocytic Anemia- which is often caused BY vitamin B12 deficiency. But macrocytic anemia often won’t occur for up to 2 years after the onset of Vitamin B12 deficiency. 


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    So, even if you are severely deficient, if you haven’t been that way for up to 2 years, you won't show macrocytic anemia. Therefore, IF you have macrocytic anemia, it's extremely likely that you do have Vitamin B12 Deficiency, but if you do not have macrocytosis, you can still have Vitamin B12 Deficiency. 

    Vitamin B12 Levels- the Blood Test

    If you have severe symptoms and your doctor is more proactive, he MAY test your Vitamin B 12 Levels. While it seems logical that a Vitamin B12 blood test, also called a Cobalamin Level, would accurately test Vitamin B 12 levels, that assumption is VERY wrong. In fact, this simple blood test, much like the test for your Magnesium Level, is inaccurate much of the time. Especially when your Vitamin B 12 levels are low or high, a Vitamin B 12 level is completely unreliable- even though they may provide some valuable clues to health problems.

     

    "Metabolic tests, such as serum methylmalonic acid
    (MMA) or plasma homocysteine, can be useful
    when the clinical picture is equivocal but
    are sometimes unreliable themselves."
    How I treat cobalamin (vitamin B12) deficiency

     

     

    If you are Understanding Blood Test Results properly, you'd understand that the 'normal' level on a Vitamin B12 blood test is fairly useless. While a low level DOES mean that someone is deficient, someone can still be deficient with both a normal level, and even a high level! 

    Sadly, a high vitamin B12 level will almost certainly be ignored. However, a high level, in the absence of vitamin B12 supplementation, is a huge red flag that you might have the very common MTHFR Genetic Mutation that might be the underlying cause of your chronic health complaints! 


    The Methylmalonic Acid Test

    If you are persuasive or you happen to have an excellent clinician, they might do a  Methylmalonic Acid Test, also called an MMA. This test is better than the Vitamin B 12 levels, and can detect low vitamin B12 levels as soon as 10 DAYS after the deficiency actually starts! 


    "Health care strategies... should consider
    the advantages of including methylmalonic acid...
    in the early evaluation of patients 
    with suspected deficiencies of vitamin B12..."

    Cobalamin and Folate Evaluation: Measurement 
    of Methylmalonic Acid and Homocysteine
    vs Vitamin B12 and Folate


     

     

    Unfortunately, even the MMA has its downsides. It might be able to tell if you have outright Vitamin B12 Deficiency, however, it can't tell you if you will BENEFIT from taking Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is a complex substance that can effect many body functions, and one doesn't necessarily need to have a Vitamin B12 Deficiency in order to benefit from taking Vitamin B12. Methylcobalamin B12, in particular is a complex substance that has a variety of functions necessary to human functioning. 


    The Best Test for Vitamin B 12 Levels

    So, what are you to do if you suspect Vitamin B12 Deficiency? Well, the best test is just to do a trial of Methylcobalamin B12 and see if it helps! Really, there is no better test. If you are not Vitamin B12 Deficient, you should feel nothing. If you ARE Vitamin B12 Deficient, you will either feel better or worse. If you feel better, then you've found your problem, and you're on your way to getting better. If you feel WORSE, then you should suspect that you have the MTHFR Gene and get tested for that. 

    Keep reading to find out about the Vitamin B12 Deficiency Treatment that you can use even if you simply SUSPECT vitamin b12 deficiency...

    Next --->
    Vitamin B12 Deficiency Treatment



    Vitamin B12 Resources

    • Methylcobalamin Vitamin B12 Supplements- Vitamin B12 SHOULD be taken in the form of Methylcobalamin. Don't take anything less!
    • Methylmalonic Acid Test- if you insist on being tested for Vitamin B12 Deficiency, you can get an in home MMA test. 
    • Could it Be B12- One of the best books on Vitamin B12 Deficiency out there. Get it, read it, learn the signs of Vitamin B12 Deficiency. You might be surprised!


    Already Answered Questions about Vitamin B12

    Click below to see already answered questions about Vitamin B12?

    Vitamin B-12 Level High While Taking Supplements 
    My fathers B-12 was low back in Seotember 2015 and his caretaker started supplementing 5000 mcg daily. The doctors never did a follow up until I requested …

    How quickly do MMA levels return to normal values after administering b-12? 
    My mother's rapidly increasing neurological problems seem to be indicative of b-12 deficiency. Simple blood tests do however not fully support this. There …

    High MCV During Pregnancy 
    I recently had blood work done and discovered that my MCV is 101. I am 27 weeks pregnant and wondering how concerned I should, or should not be about this. …

    B12 Levels are too high 
    My b12 blood test levels came back over 2000. I have MS and have been taking b12 supplements for three years. If I stop taking them, will my levels come …

    Low levels even on B-12 injections 
    Hi I give myself B-12 injections once a month but my levels keep being low. My lelel was at 600 a few days after an injection. My doctor asked me to give …

    Stopped taking B12 pills due to my B12 being high . 
    I have been taking B12 for years. However due to the results of my last blood work my B12 was elevated quite a lot. Therefore I was instructed by my doctor …

    Elevated blood b12 levels and supplementation 
    My husband started taking sub-lingual methylcobalamin (1000 mcg/day) about a year and a half ago, per my recommendation. We had no idea if his levels …

    B12 levels dropping after initial injections?  
    I was diagnosed B12 deficient as well as Vitamin D deficient. My b12 level was below 200 and when I went to the doctor it was because of symptoms I was …

    B12 Deficiency Symptoms but B12 Level is High 
    My B12 level test done by Dr. is 912. I have been on PPIs for 12 years and the last 3 years my feet have been getting more numb by the month as well as …

    MMA Urine Test 
    After reading the details on your website, I want to get a "Methylmalonic Acid" (MMA) test done to confirm my B12 deficiency and read it together with …

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