Hives after soba noodles, or a reaction to a gluten-free bread you thought was safe? Buckwheat is not related to wheat at all, and it is one of the seeds best known for causing strong reactions. Our test checks your blood for IgE to whole buckwheat and to its storage protein Fag e 2, as part of 300 allergens and allergen components.
Despite the name, buckwheat is not a grain. It is the seed of a plant in the dock and rhubarb family, which is why it is naturally gluten-free and so common in gluten-free products. Its main allergens are seed storage proteins that survive cooking and digestion well.
Fag e 2 is one of them. It belongs to the 2S albumin family, the same kind of storage protein behind many strong nut and seed reactions. In studies, IgE to Fag e 2 tells people with buckwheat allergy apart from people who are only sensitised better than the whole extract does.
Reactions people describe after buckwheat include itching in the mouth, hives, swollen lips or eyes, stomach cramps, vomiting and wheezing. They usually start quickly, often within minutes.
Some people first become sensitised by breathing in buckwheat dust, from flour at work or from buckwheat-hull pillows, and later react when they eat it.
Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing or feeling faint after eating is an emergency. Call 112 (EU) or your local emergency number. Do not wait for a test.
Plenty of people show IgE to the whole buckwheat extract and eat it without problems. This is especially common in people with eczema or many other sensitisations. That is why a component such as Fag e 2 helps: it shows whether the antibodies target the storage protein linked to real reactions.
A positive result shows sensitisation. It does not tell you how you will react. If you have reacted to buckwheat, take your result to a doctor or allergist, who may suggest further tests.
The lab measures IgE to a whole buckwheat extract and to one single buckwheat protein (molecular component). Your lab report gives each a measured value and class, from Negative to Very high, so you see both the overall picture and the storage protein side by side.
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One finger-prick sample checks IgE to 300 allergens and allergen components, from birch and peanut to cat and house dust mite. Post it to the lab, and about 5 days after it arrives you get a value for every one. Our plain-English guide shows you how to read them. €399 in total, €1.33 per allergen.
No. Buckwheat is the seed of a plant related to rhubarb and sorrel, not a cereal grass. It contains no gluten. A wheat allergy does not imply a buckwheat allergy, and the two are measured separately on the panel.
Soba is usually made with buckwheat flour, often mixed with wheat. Either can be the trigger. Our test measures buckwheat and wheat separately, so you can see which one shows up and take the result to a doctor.
Fag e 2 is a storage protein in buckwheat. Studies link IgE to it more closely with real reactions than IgE to the whole extract. A doctor reads it together with your history to decide what it means for you.
