OmegaQuant has launched a new Vitamin B12 Test, with a sample collection kit that allows for testing at home.

This simple, safe, convenient test measures a substance called methylmalonic acid (uMMA) in the urine, which is a more accurate way of detecting low B12 status, according to the company. The more MMA one has, the more likely one is to be low in this critical nutrient.

Vitamin B12 is essential for many processes in the cell, and when there is not enough, it causes MMA to accumulate in the cell and spill out into the blood where it eventually gets filtered by the kidney into the urine where the test measures it.

Test results are reported in specific units—mmol MMA/mol creatinine (cr). Optimal vitamin B12 status is indicated when the result is below 2.0 mmol MMA/mol cr. A result above 3.8 mmol/mol cr means B12 status is very low and a true B12 deficiency should be confirmed with further testing and consultation with a healthcare provider.

Vitamin B12 serves several important functions in the body, from supporting red blood cell production and nerve function to brain and heart health. Like most vitamins, B12 must come from the diet but given the limited sources—it is only found in animal-sourced products and some fortified foods—and its absorption challenges, knowing if you are getting enough even if your diet is perfect is more complex than you think.

Harvard Health calls vitamin B12 deficiency sneaky and harmful because people are often unaware they are critically low until they develop major health issues like jaundice, joint pain, deep depression, memory loss, incontinence, shortness of breath and more. In one study, 40 percent of 3,000 subjects were found to be vitamin B12 deficient. If this is true of the rest of America, more that 80 million adults may have a B12 deficiency.

For more information, visit www.omegaquant.com.