The OmegaQuant B12 status test does not measure B12. It measures something called methylmalonic acid in urine. The reason for this is methylmalonic acid or MMA is a compound that builds up in the blood when the cycles that B12 is a part of are stopped up. So certain compounds in the cycle build up in the blood and then they spill over into the urine. We measure MMA in urine because it is more likely to not be affected by kidney function. When you have poor kidney function, MMA can increase in the blood, but it doesn't necessarily indicate that B12 status is the issue. So, when we look at the urine and then we compare it to creatinine levels which kind of shows how diluted the urine is. So, we compare MMA to creatinine to get a measure of how much MMA is in your system. B12 is a part of two really important systems — one is about DNA synthesis and repair and the other is fatty acid metabolism. And the fatty acid metabolism, that role for B12 is where the MMA builds up. So, MMA is kind of just a marker of an unhealthy cycle and system that B12 can help make function better. So, we do call it a B12 status marker because it's not actually B12 but it's showing you the functional capacity of B12 in your body.
