Stomach cramps or hives after a quinoa salad, and you are not sure whether it is the quinoa or the dressing? Quinoa went from niche to everyday food in a few years, and reports of reactions followed. Our test checks your blood for IgE to whole quinoa, as part of 300 allergens and allergen components, with buckwheat and the cereals on the same report.
Quinoa is not a cereal. It is the seed of a plant in the amaranth family, related to beetroot, spinach and goosefoot (lamb's quarters), and it is naturally gluten-free. It is often called a pseudo-cereal because people cook it like a grain.
Its seeds are rich in storage proteins. IgE reactions to quinoa are rare, but since quinoa became popular in Europe, doctors in France and elsewhere have reported cases of strong reactions after eating it.
Reactions people describe after quinoa include itching in the mouth, hives, swollen lips or eyes, stomach cramps and wheezing. They usually start within minutes to two hours.
Not every upset stomach after quinoa is allergy. The seed coat carries bitter saponins, which can irritate the gut if quinoa is not rinsed well. That irritation is not an IgE reaction and does not show up on this test.
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.
Some people show IgE to quinoa and eat it without problems. Whole seed extracts can pick up antibodies made against similar proteins in other plants.
So a positive quinoa result shows sensitisation. It does not tell you that you will react. If you have reacted to quinoa, take your result to a doctor, who can put it next to your history and your other seed and grain results.
The lab measures IgE to one whole quinoa extract, which covers the full mix of quinoa proteins rather than single components. Your lab report gives it a measured value and class, from Negative to Very high, on the same report as buckwheat, the cereals and goosefoot pollen.
Page last updated
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.
Yes, though it is rare. Doctors have reported reactions including severe ones after eating quinoa. Our test measures IgE to whole quinoa, which shows whether you are sensitised. A doctor reads that together with your history.
Often it is not allergy. Quinoa's seed coat carries bitter saponins that can irritate the gut if it is not rinsed well. Allergy involves IgE and usually quicker reactions such as hives or swelling. This test measures IgE only.
No. Quinoa is the seed of a plant related to spinach and beetroot. It is gluten-free and is often called a pseudo-cereal because it is cooked like a grain.
