Spinach IgE Test - More Information

This spinach allergy test, also known as a spinach IgE test and a spinach allergy blood test, measures the spinach IgE antibody blood level.

Spinach is an edible vegetable with green leaves that has high nutritional value. Spinach is frozen and canned in addition to being eaten fresh. Spinach allergies occur infrequently and most reactions take place after eating the leaves. The primary cause for a spinach allergy in people is thought to be from the salicylate in the spinach. Salicylate is the main ingredient in aspirin as is naturally found in the vegetable. Symptoms from a spinach allergy may range from watery eyes and stuffy nose to abdominal discomfort and cramping.

This spinach IgE test uses the ImmunoCAP® lab methodology. IgE blood test results are reported in kU/L and can be compared against the IgE antibody reference range provided by the lab to determine the allergy class to spinach. Regardless of reference ranges, however, spinach IgE lab test levels cannot be used in isolation as absolute evidence of the presence or absence of a disease and all results should be evaluated in conjunction with a licensed medical provider.

This spinach allergy blood test is less painful and has less side effects than historical allergy testing methods such as the skin prick test (SPT). In the skin prick, or scratch, test, serum containing spinach components are injected into the skin. If you are allergic to spinach, you will, unfortunately, have a mild allergic reaction and all of the symptoms that go with it. Instead, this allergy blood test can check for a spinach allergy without causing an allergic reaction, resulting in a much more comfortable lab testing experience through a simple blood draw.