Vitamin D test kits, B12 & omega-3 home tests

How a vitamin D test kit works

A vitamin D test kit lets you collect a small blood sample at home and post it to a laboratory. NeoVos makes the vitamin D test here, which uses a few blood spots from a finger prick and is analysed by SureScreen, an accredited UK laboratory. The lab then sends your results. A home test gives you a number to discuss with your GP or pharmacist. It is not a diagnosis. Each vitamin test kit comes with instructions for taking the sample at home, so you can do it at a time that suits you. We checked NeoVos and Loving Foods for how their tests are analysed and how results are explained.

Vitamin D test and B12 test

Vitamin D levels in the UK tend to drop over autumn and winter, when there is less sunlight. A vitamin D test shows where your level sits, which some people like to check through the year. NeoVos also makes a vitamin B12 test, which measures a marker called methylmalonic acid. Each test is sold as a one-time purchase or as a monthly, three-monthly or six-monthly subscription.

Omega-3 test

The NeoVos omega-3 test measures the omega-3 fats in a small blood sample. It suits anyone curious about how their diet compares over time, and it comes as a one-off test or a subscription. Follow the kit instructions closely, as a good sample gives the most reliable result. Warm hands and a glass of water beforehand make it easier to collect enough blood spots, and posting the kit back the same day keeps the sample fresh.

Gut health test

Loving Foods makes a functional gut test, and NeoVos makes an Advanced Gut test, also available as a subscription. A gut health test uses a sample you collect at home with the kit provided. Results come with an explanation, and they are best read alongside advice from a health professional. Supplements has vegan vitamins, Superfood Powders has mushroom and maca powders, Gut Health brings together food and drink for your gut, and What gut health actually means, and what actually moves it explains the science.