B12 Vitamin Deficiency Home Collection Urine Test Kit

Early signs and symptoms of B12 deficiency may include loss of appetite, diarrhea, numbness and tingling of hands and feet, paleness, tiredness and decreased concentration and memory. So, if you have a vitamin B12 concentration in the low end of the normal range or if you have any of the aforementioned symptoms, you should consider getting yourself tested for B12 deficiency .

UMMA based Vitamin B12 Deficiency Detection Kit is an accurate, specific sensitive, cost-effective and easy-to-use screening kit that can be used at the convenience of your home to screen samples for Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency.

Explicitly, this kit measures methylmalonic acid (MMA) i.e. a compound produced in very small amounts during amino acid metabolism, in urine samples. Increased amount of MMA in urine serves as a sensitive and early indicator of vitamin B12 deficiency (See Biology behind test for more details).

This test is potentially beneficial for physicians and hospitals to make a judgmental diagnosis for symptoms associated with vitamin B12 deficiency if ideally carried along with a homocysteine test. It is also very useful for individuals desiring to be tested by mail from the privacy of their home, and investigators or research students seeking to screen a large number of samples for Vitamin B12 deficiency. The Vitamin B12 Deficiency Detection Kit employs highly selected ion monitoring isotope dilution gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in a random spot urine specimen.

Click here to see 2 sample result reports

Biology behind the Test:

Urine MMA levels are directly related to a B12-dependent metabolic pathway. Normally, vitamin B12 acts as a coenzyme, promoting the conversion of methylmalonyl CoA to succinic acid in a metabolic pathway: MMCoA (coenzyme B12) succinic acid. If there is not enough B12 available to act as a coenzyme, then methylmalonyl CoA concentrations begin to rise, and the body converts the methylmalonyl CoA to MMA instead. Decreased availability of B12 leads to increases in blood and urine MMA levels.

Blood/serum MMA based tests are falsely high in renal insufficiency and intravascular volume depletion while Blood/serum B12 tests are mere indicators of the amount of circulating B12 in serum. On the other hand, urinary MMA (UMMA) based test is a functional test as it an indicator of amount of tissue or cellular B12 available for physiological activity and thus gives biologically more relevant results. This test is also better than Schilling Test which is falsely normal in individuals who are unable to absorb food-bound B12 but can absorb crystalline B12.

It is important to note that the use MMA testing may not be suitable for periodic monitoring purposes because it is subject to variation and results may not reliably trend up or down in response to B12 treatment.

SPECIAL NOTICE This is a pre-paid test, if you lose any portion of this test we are unable to replace it.

You are responsible for all shipping fees to send the sample to the laboratory. We highly suggest using a traceable method to ensure the sample does not get lost.

It is important to note that MMA based B12 deficiency tests may be sensitive without being specific in certain cases. It has been found in certain studies that 25-20% of patients over the age of 70 have elevated levels of MMA, but 25-33% of them do not have B12 deficiency! For this reason, MMA is not routinely recommended in the elderly.

An elevated MMA test may indicate a B12 deficiency, but the amount of MMA measured does not necessarily reflect the severity of the deficiency, its likelihood of progressing, or the presence or severity of any symptoms.

This test is not intended to make diagnosis or replace the medical advice and/or treatment obtained from a qualified healthcare practitioner.

Instructions for this product are in PDF format:

B12 Deficiency Test Collection Instructions

Product Insert

Patient Form

Most of the computers come with a PDF reader. If you do not have a PDF reader installed on your computer, please download one of the PDF readers below, and follow the on-screen instructions:

• Adobe Acrobat Reader (~30 MB, for Windows and MacOS)
• Foxit Reader (~2.5 MB, for Windows)

Isn't direct measurement of serum B12 levels good enough? Why do we need indirect testing of Vitamin B12 deficiency through urine MMA levels?

Why a homocysteine test is frequently suggested along with a MMA test for Vitamin B12 deficiency?

What is methylmalonic acidemia? Can this test be used to detect it?

How can a MMA test be used for detecting a kidney disease?

How can a conclusive diagnosis of Vitamin B12 deficiency be made?

When to get tested for B12 deficiency (what are the early signs and symptoms of B12 Deficiency) ?

I am a vegetarian/strict vegan. Should I take this B12 Deficiency test?

I used to eat meat and eggs but recently I have shifted over to vegetarian diet. What is the risk of experiencing vitamin B12 deficiency in near future?