Allergen Specific IgE Radish (Raphanus sativus) Biomarker Testing
It measures IgE antibodies to radish to help assess allergy sensitization, with convenient ordering and Quest lab draw access via Vitals Vault.
With Vitals Vault, you have access to a comprehensive range of biomarker tests.
An Allergen Specific IgE Radish test checks whether your immune system has made IgE antibodies that recognize radish (Raphanus sativus). This is a blood test used to evaluate allergy sensitization, especially when you have symptoms that seem tied to eating radish or foods that may cross-react with it.
A positive result does not automatically mean you will have an allergic reaction every time you eat radish. It means your immune system is “primed,” and your symptoms, history, and sometimes additional testing help determine whether this sensitization is clinically important.
This test is most useful when it answers a specific question: “Is radish a likely trigger for my symptoms?” It can also help you and your clinician decide what to avoid, what to reintroduce carefully, and whether you need a broader allergy workup.
Do I need a Allergen Specific IgE Radish test?
You might consider radish-specific IgE testing if you notice itching or tingling in your mouth, lip swelling, hives, stomach symptoms, coughing, wheezing, or lightheadedness after eating radish (raw or cooked), or after eating mixed foods where radish is a hidden ingredient (salads, kimchi, pickles, garnishes, sauces).
Testing can also be helpful if you have seasonal allergies and get mouth or throat symptoms with certain raw vegetables. Some people develop pollen-food allergy syndrome (also called oral allergy syndrome), where proteins in foods resemble pollen proteins and trigger localized symptoms.
You may not need this test if your symptoms are clearly unrelated to food exposure, or if you already have a confirmed radish allergy and your plan is stable. In many cases, clinicians start with a careful history and then choose targeted specific IgE tests (like radish) rather than broad “everything” panels.
Your result is one piece of evidence that supports clinician-directed care and shared decision-making. It is not, by itself, a standalone diagnosis of food allergy.
This is a laboratory-developed specific IgE blood test performed in a CLIA-certified laboratory; results should be interpreted with your symptoms and medical history, not used as the only basis for diagnosis.
Lab testing
Order radish-specific IgE testing through Vitals Vault when you’re ready to confirm a suspected trigger.
Schedule online, results typically within about a week
Clear reporting and optional clinician context
HSA/FSA eligible where applicable
Get this test with Vitals Vault
If you want a clear, documented data point to bring to your clinician, you can order radish-specific IgE testing through Vitals Vault and complete your blood draw at a participating Quest location.
After your results post, PocketMD can help you make sense of what “negative,” “borderline,” or “positive” means in plain language and what follow-up questions to ask—such as whether you should test related foods, evaluate pollen sensitization, or discuss an oral food challenge with an allergist.
Vitals Vault is a good fit when you have a suspected trigger and you want targeted testing, a clean lab report, and a path to next steps (including retesting when it is clinically appropriate).
- Order online and draw at a Quest location
- Results you can share with your clinician or allergist
- PocketMD support for interpretation and next-step planning
Key benefits of Allergen Specific IgE Radish testing
- Helps assess whether radish is a plausible trigger when symptoms follow exposure.
- Distinguishes IgE sensitization from non-allergic food intolerance patterns.
- Supports safer elimination and reintroduction decisions when paired with your history.
- Can guide whether you should evaluate cross-reactive pollens or related foods.
- Provides a baseline to monitor changes over time if your exposures or symptoms change.
- Helps your clinician decide if referral to an allergist or an oral food challenge is warranted.
- Gives you a standardized lab result you can track and discuss using PocketMD.
What is Allergen Specific IgE Radish?
Allergen specific IgE is a type of antibody your immune system can produce against a particular allergen. In this test, the lab measures IgE antibodies that bind to proteins from radish (Raphanus sativus) in a blood sample.
If you have radish-specific IgE, it suggests sensitization, meaning your immune system recognizes radish proteins as potential threats. Sensitization can be associated with symptoms, but it does not guarantee you will react. Some people have detectable IgE without meaningful symptoms, while others can have symptoms even with low or undetectable IgE.
Radish reactions can range from mild mouth itching to hives or more serious reactions, although severe reactions are less common and depend on your individual risk factors and exposure. Your clinician will interpret the result alongside your reaction timing, reproducibility, amount eaten, whether the radish was raw vs cooked, and whether other foods were involved.
Sensitization vs. clinical allergy
A “positive” specific IgE means your immune system has made IgE that recognizes radish. A clinical allergy means you reliably develop symptoms when exposed, and those symptoms fit an IgE-mediated pattern (often within minutes to a couple of hours). The difference matters because treatment decisions—like strict avoidance or carrying epinephrine—depend on clinical risk, not the lab number alone.
Why cross-reactivity can matter
Some food reactions are driven by cross-reactive proteins shared between pollens and plant foods. If you have seasonal allergies, you may react to certain raw fruits or vegetables but tolerate them cooked. If your symptoms are mainly mouth and throat itching without systemic symptoms, your clinician may consider pollen-food allergy syndrome as part of the explanation.
What do my Allergen Specific IgE Radish results mean?
Low or negative radish-specific IgE
A low or negative result means the test did not detect meaningful levels of IgE antibodies to radish. This makes an IgE-mediated radish allergy less likely, but it does not fully rule it out, especially if your reactions are convincing or happened long ago. If symptoms persist, your clinician may consider other causes such as non-IgE food reactions, irritant effects, reflux, or reactions to other ingredients in the same meal.
In-range results (what “normal” usually means here)
For specific IgE tests, “normal” typically means undetectable or below the lab’s positivity threshold. If your result is in this range and you still suspect radish, the next step is usually to revisit the exposure story: the form of radish (raw vs cooked), the dose, and whether you were sick, exercising, or taking medications at the time. In some cases, an allergist may recommend skin testing or a supervised oral food challenge to clarify risk.
High radish-specific IgE
A higher result indicates stronger sensitization to radish proteins. Higher numbers can correlate with a greater likelihood of reacting, but they do not perfectly predict reaction severity, and cutoffs vary by lab method. If you have a high result plus a history of rapid-onset symptoms after radish, your clinician may recommend avoidance, an emergency action plan, and evaluation for related allergies or cross-reactive triggers.
Factors that influence radish-specific IgE results
Timing and context matter. Recent exposure does not usually “spike” IgE immediately the way some people expect, but IgE levels can change over months to years as allergies evolve. Age, atopic conditions (eczema, asthma, allergic rhinitis), and overall IgE tendency can increase the chance of low-level positives. Cross-reactivity with pollens or other plant foods can also contribute to a positive result that does not always match real-world reactions.
What’s included
- Allergen Specific Ige Radish*
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to fast for a radish-specific IgE blood test?
Fasting is usually not required for allergen-specific IgE testing because the measurement is not affected in a meaningful way by recent meals. If you are combining this with other labs that require fasting, follow the instructions for the full order.
What does a positive radish IgE test mean?
A positive result means you are sensitized, meaning your immune system has IgE antibodies that recognize radish proteins. Whether that sensitization causes symptoms depends on your clinical history, the form and amount of radish you eat, and possible cross-reactivity with pollens or other foods.
Can I have radish allergy symptoms with a negative IgE result?
Yes. A negative test lowers the likelihood of an IgE-mediated allergy, but it does not eliminate it. Symptoms could also be due to another ingredient, a non-IgE reaction, oral irritation, reflux, or a different food allergy that was present in the same meal.
Does a higher IgE number mean a more severe reaction?
Not reliably. Higher specific IgE can increase the likelihood of reacting, but severity is influenced by many factors, including asthma control, cofactors like exercise or alcohol, and the amount eaten. Your clinician uses the number as one part of a broader risk assessment.
How soon should I retest radish-specific IgE?
Retesting is usually considered when your symptoms change, after a period of avoidance, or when you and your clinician are reassessing whether reintroduction is reasonable. Because IgE trends typically change over months rather than days, retesting is often spaced out (for example, 6–12 months) unless there is a specific clinical reason to check sooner.
Is this the same as a food intolerance test?
No. This test measures IgE antibodies, which are associated with immediate-type allergic reactions. Many “intolerance” symptoms are not IgE-mediated and may involve digestion, fermentation, or other immune pathways that this test does not measure.
Should I stop antihistamines before a radish IgE blood test?
Antihistamines do not typically affect blood-based specific IgE results, so they usually do not need to be stopped for this test. They can interfere with skin prick testing, so if you are also planning skin testing, follow your allergist’s instructions.