What is a vitamin deficiency test?
A vitamin deficiency test is a blood test that measures levels of key vitamins in your body. It helps identify if you have a deficiency in one or more essential vitamins.
Vitamins like vitamin D, B12, folate and others help regulate important bodily processes related to energy, metabolism, hormones, and immunity. Long-term low levels can negatively impact your health and cause vitamin deficiency symptoms. Testing helps assess your vitamin status.
What are the symptoms of vitamin deficiencies?
Different vitamin deficiencies manifest with different symptoms, but some common signs include:
- Fatigue, weakness, tiredness
- Frequent infections
- Changes in appetite
- Nausea, digestive issues
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Unexplained weight loss or gain
- Menstrual problems, infertility
- Depression, confusion, poor memory
- Muscle pain, bone fractures, weakness
- Poor wound healing
- Nerve problems like numbness, tingling
- Vision changes, night blindness
- Bleeding gums, mouth ulcers
How severe and wide ranging symptoms are depends on the vitamin in question, degree of deficiency, your age, health conditions and duration it’s been low. Catching and correcting deficiencies early is important.
How to test for vitamin deficiency?
Doctors use blood tests checking levels of various vitamins, though exact components included depend on suspected deficiencies based on risk factors and symptoms present.
A broad nutritional panel provides an overview measuring:
- Vitamin B12
- Folic acid (vitamin B9)
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
Thresholds indicate falling under deficient ranges. Follow up testing helps confirm improvement after vitamin supplementation treatment.
Who should take a vitamin deficiency test?
If you regularly experience potential vitamin deficiency symptoms or have trouble eating balanced nutrient-rich whole foods meeting micronutrient needs, ask your doctor about testing.
High risk groups who benefit from periodic screening include:
- Strict vegetarians/vegans
- Elderly adults
- Pregnant women
- Those with absorption disorders
- Sufferers of alcoholism or eating disorders
- People on long-term medications impacting vitamins
What is included in an at-home vitamin deficiency test?
Now convenient at-home vitamin test kits allow self-testing finger prick blood samples via mail-in labs. These provide easy access without visiting a phlebotomist for a full draw. Leading options test combinations of:
- Vitamin D
- B vitamins (B12, folate)
- Ferritin (iron)
- Zinc
- Magnesium
- Vitamin C
What to do with the results of the nutrients test?
If your at-home test results or doctor blood work indicate a clinically low vitamin level, follow their treatment advice. This typically involves focused vitamin supplementation orally or injections to restore healthy blood concentration ranges and relieve related deficiency symptoms.
Why test for vitamin deficiency?
Catching vitamin shortfalls early provides an opportunity to prevent worsening deficiency and permanent damage. Testing also gives objective guidance fine-tuning supplementation needs specific to your body’s micronutrient status.
Where can I take a vitamin test?
Your primary doctor can order laboratory blood work during annual physicals if deficiency is suspected or you fall under high risk demographics. For convenience, leading at-home vitamin test kit companies like Everlywell and LetsGetChecked allow home collection and supported results analysis accessible online.
What to do if the results show a vitamin deficiency?
If your blood work confirms low vitamin status, follow medical advice to begin taking the appropriate oral vitamin or mineral supplements targeting the deficiency. Your doctor determines optimal dosing and if B12 injections, iron infusions or other aggressive repletion is warranted more immediately treating an advanced deficiency.
How often should blood vitamin levels be checked?
Healthy adults with adequate vitamin intakes may only require occasional population-based screening for common deficiencies like vitamins D and B12 during annual checkups. Those undergoing treatment for known deficiencies need follow up testing every 3 months generally until levels normalize. Testing frequency varies case by case.
Testing for vitamin deficiencies empowers you to proactively address nutrition gaps undermining wellbeing. Know your levels and consult your doctor determining necessary dietary improvements or supplements.
