Vitamin B12 and Folate Test

$89

Vitamin B12 and folate work closely, making red blood cells and helping iron work better in your body.

Vitamin B12 and folate support many cellular functions in the body. B12 supports nerve function, and folate (aka folic acid or vitamin B9) converts carbohydrates into energy and forms DNA. Both B12 and folate are essential to red blood cell production.

The Vitamin B12 and Folate Test measures levels of vitamin B12 and folate in your blood to help identify potential vitamin deficiencies. A B12 deficiency or a folate deficiency may lead to symptoms of fatigue, weakness or anemia.

Explore other key vitamins and minerals with OnDemand’s Micronutrient Test to get a better understanding of your nutritional status.

Vitamin B12 and Folate Test

$89

Test Details

Sample Type: Blood

Collection Method: In person at a Labcorp location

Age: 18+

Results: 1 day from when your sample arrives at our lab

HSA/FSA: Accepted

Test must be taken by purchaser

Preparation: If you’re taking a supplement containing biotin (also called vitamin B7 or B8, vitamin H or coenzyme R), commonly found in products promoting nail, skin and hair health, it is recommended that you wait at least 72 hours from your last dose before sample collection.

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Wondering about vitamin deficiencies?

Early detection and treatment of B12 deficiency is important. If left untreated it can cause blood disorders or even neurologic problems.

Are you pregnant or a new mother?

Pregnant and breastfeeding women have increased demand for folate for both themselves and their child.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women have increased demand for folate for both themselves and their child.

Folate is essential to helping ensure proper fetal development and to help prevent neural tube defects.

At greater risk?

People at risk for B12 and folate deficiency may include:

• Individuals 65 and older.

• People with certain autoimmune conditions such as atrophic gastritis and pernicious anemia; and GI conditions such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease.

• People who have had stomach or intestinal surgery.

• People who are following a strict vegetarian or vegan diet.

• People taking certain medications such as metformin for diabetes, or antacids such as omeprazole or ranitidine, which can affect B12 absorption.

• Chronic alcohol users or those who take certain drugs, such as phenytoin, methotrexate and sulfa antibiotics, which can affect folate absorption.

1. Harvard Health Publishing. Vitamin 12 deficiency can be sneaky and harmful. Harvard Health Publishing website. Updated March 23, 2022. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/vitamin-b12-deficiency-can-be-sneaky-harmful-201301105780

2. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B12. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements website. Updated July 7, 2021. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-Consumer/

3. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Folate. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements website. Updated November 1, 2022. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-Consumer/

4. Mayo Clinic. Vitamin Deficiency Anemia. Mayo Clinic website. Updated January 18, 2022. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/vitamin-deficiency-anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355025

What's Tested

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 plays an essential role in red blood cell formation, cell metabolism, nerve function and more. It’s found in foods such as nutritional yeast, plant-based milks and certain cereals. When you’re deficient in vitamin B12, you may experience symptoms like fatigue, weight loss and loss of appetite.
Folate

A natural form of vitamin B9, folate helps your body make new red blood cells and DNA, and it plays an important role in a fetus’s development. It’s found in foods such as leafy greens, beans, seafood, eggs and more. When you’re deficient in folate, you may experience symptoms like fatigue and weight loss.

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Purchase Your Test

Simply purchase this test online. A healthcare provider will review and approve your test requests; no healthcare provider visit is required.

Provide Your Sample

Visit a Labcorp location near you for sample collection. Visits may be scheduled online.

Get Your Results

View your easy-to-read results online in your Labcorp Patient™ account, including Linked Accounts. For certain results that require prompt attention, you will also be contacted by phone or mail.

Patient Service Centers

Labs in more than 2,000 locations across the country.

Find a Location Near You

Your testing will be performed in a CLIA-certified clinical laboratory. Labcorp provides leading-edge medical laboratory tests and services through a national network of primary clinical laboratories and specialty testing laboratories. Our labs perform regular quality assurance testing to ensure our results are accurate.
Your results will be provided to you through our secure online portal to view or print. Results are also made available through a secure portal to the independent healthcare provider who placed your test order. If you are accessing your results through your Labcorp Patient™ account, all users linked to the account will have access to all OnDemand test results. Results may also be provided to a local, state, and/or federal health authority; for example, many states require the testing laboratory and physician to report test results for certain communicable diseases, such as COVID-19, to local or state health departments.

If you have questions or comments regarding the Labcorp Notice of Privacy Practices, or have a complaint about our use or disclosure of your PHI or our privacy practices, please contact: privacyofficer@labcorp.com, call us at (877) 234-4722 (877-23-HIPAA) and ask for the Labcorp HIPAA Privacy Officer, or send a written request to: HIPAA Privacy Officer, Labcorp, 531 South Spring Street, Burlington, NC 27215. You also may file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Visit the Labcorp OnDemand® website to browse and purchase laboratory tests and create your Labcorp Patient™ account to view your results. All Labcorp OnDemand testing requires an order from an authorized healthcare professional. For your convenience, Labcorp OnDemand has contracted with independent professional entities (collectively, Providers) to deliver healthcare provider services. Visit a Labcorp location for sample collection; or, if using an at-home collection kit, collect your sample yourself. We’ll let you know when your results are ready and can be accessed through your Labcorp Patient™ account.