What is vitamin B12 good for?

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is a vitamin that ensures the correct production of red blood cells and DNA – so it’s rather important! Because of its role in the production of red blood cells, individuals low in B12 can feel a boost in their energy.

What are vitamin B12 injections?

Where individuals are deficient in vitamin B12, they may be prescribed a B12 injection to resolve the deficiency.

What foods contain B12?

B12 is readily available from animal-based foods, such as: meat poultry fish eggs dairy products A number of foods are also fortified with B12, such as cereals.

What are the symptoms of low B12 levels?

The symptoms of low B12 include: headaches palpitations loss of appetite indigestion diarrhoea changes in cognitive ability such as: forgetfulness, making decisions, and understanding a painful or red tongue shortness of breath or rapid breathing numbness muscle weakness low mood and depression issues with balance

How soon will the test arrive?

If you order your test before midday on a Monday to Friday then your kit will be dispatched the same day. All our kits are sent out via Royal Mail first class post, so it should be with you within 1-2 working days.

How secure is my data?

We have strict processes in place to ensure the protection of your data. Following GDPR the company also operates under tight legal rules about the sharing of data which ensures that data is only shared if it is crucial to the delivery of our service. For example, our doctors see customer results at the time of review, however, after review, access to results is withdrawn.

Can I have someone take my blood for me?

Yes. We offer two options if you do not want to do our finger prick test. The first is a home appointment where a nurse comes to your home to take a blood sample. The second is to visit a Phlebotomy clinic near you that offers a blood sample service. A blood sample will be taken from your vein and we will provide you with everything you need to give to the nurse to allow them to take the sample. The nurse will give you the blood sample to return to us using the pre-paid envelope provided.

Does a doctor review my results?

We have a team of doctors and nurses who look at all results and will comment on any results that are outside of the normal range for your age.

Can I download the results to share with my GP?

Yes, you can download your results from your health dashboard as a PDF to share with your GP.

Get £5, £10, £15, or £25 towards your next test when you place an order throughout December.

Vitamin B12 Blood Test

Name: Vitamin B12 Blood Test
Brand: Forth
Price: 46 GBP
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.2 (1168 reviews)

If you're feeling tired and low on energy, you could have low B12 levels. Our Active B12 blood test is the most accurate way to measure the amount of vitamin B12 that is available for the body to use, helping to identify any deficiency that could be causing your symptoms.

£46

Certified for quality & security

Did you know?

Up to 20% of UK adults have low vitamin B12 levels

NIH: Vitamin B12

What does a vitamin B12 test check?

A B12 vitamin deficiency can make you feel extremely tired and lacking in energy. Taking this Active B12 home blood test is the best way to identify how much vitamin B12 is available for your body to use. It’s different from a total B12 test that measures the total amount of B12 stored in the body.

How to check vitamin B12 levels at home

We’ve made our vitamin B12 blood test easy to do from the comfort of your home. The kit contains everything needed to collect a small amount of blood and post it back to our labs for analysis. You’ll get the results within 2 working days of your sample reaching our labs, along with comments and advice from our medical team.

What causes vitamin B12 deficiency?

Vitamin B12 deficiency can result from factors such as a bad diet, malabsorption due to conditions like pernicious anaemia or gastrointestinal disorders, certain medications that interfere with absorption, or insufficient production of intrinsic factors needed for B12 absorption in the stomach.

Frequently asked questions

This is what our customers ask us most about this test. For more information, try our help centre.

What is vitamin B12 good for?

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is a vitamin that ensures the correct production of red blood cells and DNA – so it’s rather important! Because of its role in the production of red blood cells, individuals low in B12 can feel a boost in their energy.
What are vitamin B12 injections?

Where individuals are deficient in vitamin B12, they may be prescribed a B12 injection to resolve the deficiency.
What foods contain B12?
B12 is readily available from animal-based foods, such as:
- meat
- poultry
- fish
- eggs
- dairy products
A number of foods are also fortified with B12, such as cereals.
What are the symptoms of low B12 levels?
The symptoms of low B12 include:
- headaches
- palpitations
- loss of appetite
- indigestion
- diarrhoea
- changes in cognitive ability such as: forgetfulness, making decisions, and understanding
- a painful or red tongue
- shortness of breath or rapid breathing
- numbness
- muscle weakness
- low mood and depression
- issues with balance
How soon will the test arrive?

If you order your test before midday on a Monday to Friday then your kit will be dispatched the same day. All our kits are sent out via Royal Mail first class post, so it should be with you within 1-2 working days.
How secure is my data?

We have strict processes in place to ensure the protection of your data. Following GDPR the company also operates under tight legal rules about the sharing of data which ensures that data is only shared if it is crucial to the delivery of our service. For example, our doctors see customer results at the time of review, however, after review, access to results is withdrawn.

Learn more about your data security.

Can I have someone take my blood for me?

Yes. We offer two options if you do not want to do our finger prick test. The first is a home appointment where a nurse comes to your home to take a blood sample. The second is to visit a Phlebotomy clinic near you that offers a blood sample service.

A blood sample will be taken from your vein and we will provide you with everything you need to give to the nurse to allow them to take the sample.

The nurse will give you the blood sample to return to us using the pre-paid envelope provided.
Does a doctor review my results?

We have a team of doctors and nurses who look at all results and will comment on any results that are outside of the normal range for your age.
Can I download the results to share with my GP?

Yes, you can download your results from your health dashboard as a PDF to share with your GP.

Learn how to export your results.

We are dedicated to supporting you on improving your health

Recommended by doctors

Dr Thom Phillips

Clinical Lead

BSc. (Hons) MSc. MB BCh. MRCGP. Dip SEM. PGCert (Diabetes)

Renee McGregor

Nutrition Lead

BSc (hons) PGDIP (DIET) PGCERT(sportsnutr) RD BASES

Dr Michael Cornes

Scientific Officer

Consultant clinical scientist, FRCPath, BSc Biochemistry, MSc Clinical Biochemistry, PhD Biochemistry

"B12 is crucial for making red and white blood cells, repairing cells, and synthesising new DNA. It can't be produced in the body and must be supplied by the diet. Foods rich in vitamin B12 are usually animal based, so this test is particularly useful if you're following a vegetarian or vegan diet. We focus on the active form of B12 giving greater insight into your functional levels."

Dr Thom Phillips

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How it works

Getting the insights you need to improve your health has never been easier.

1. Choose your blood test

No need to wait for a GP appointment, choose from our wide range of tests which come with everything you need to take your sample and return to our lab.

2. Collect your sample

Take your finger prick blood sample at home, or choose to have your blood taken at a Superdrug health clinic or a nurse at home. Return to our NHS lab using our prepaid envelope.