Complete Blood Count (CBC): What to Expect and Why It Is Done
A blood test that measures IgG antibodies against beet proteins to help assess food sensitivity.
{"Measures IgG antibodies specific to beet proteins in your blood","Used to evaluate potential food sensitivities or intolerances","Requires a simple blood draw","Results help identify foods that may be causing adverse reactions","Results should be interpreted with clinical symptoms"}
Key facts at a glance
- LOINC
- 7145-6
- Short code
- BEETIGG
- Synonyms
- Beet IgG Qn
- Category
- chemistry
- Sample
- serum
- Container
- Serum separator tube (SST) or red-top tube
- Units
- N/A
- Ref low
- 0.35
- Ref high
- 0.69
- Fasting
- false
- Population
- adult
- Sex
- all
- Age range
- 18–65 years
- Method
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or ImmunoCAP
- CPT
- 86001
- SNOMED
- 395122009
- Specimen volume
- 1-2 mL of serum
- Stability
- Serum stable for 7 days at 2-8°C; for longer storage, freeze at -20°C or below for up to 3 months. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
- Hemolysis max
- 500
- Lipemia max
- 1000
- Icterus max
- 500
- TAT
- 24–72 hours
- Order
- routine
What is this test? A complete blood count (CBC) is a common blood test that measures the different cells in your blood, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. These measurements help your doctor evaluate your overall health and detect a wide range of conditions, such as infections, anemia, and other blood disorders.
The Beet IgG Antibody test is a laboratory test that measures the level of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies specific to beet (Beta vulgaris) proteins in your blood serum. IgG antibodies are part of your immune system's memory and can develop in response to certain foods.
How is the test performed? A health care professional will clean a small area of your skin, usually on the inside of your elbow, and draw a sample of blood from a vein using a thin needle. The sample is placed in a tube and sent to a laboratory for analysis. The procedure takes only a few minutes, and you can usually return to your normal activities right away.
A healthcare professional will draw a small blood sample from a vein in your arm. The sample is then sent to a laboratory where it is analyzed to detect and measure the concentration of beet-specific IgG antibodies. The result is reported as units/volume.
Why might I need this test? Your doctor may order a CBC as part of a routine health exam, to help diagnose symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, fever, bruising, or bleeding, or to monitor an existing condition such as anemia or an infection. It is also used to track how treatments like chemotherapy or certain medications are affecting your blood cells.
This test may be ordered if you experience digestive symptoms, fatigue, or other discomforts that you suspect may be related to food sensitivities. It is part of a broader food sensitivity panel that tests IgG antibodies against various foods. The results, combined with your symptoms, may help guide dietary decisions.
How should I prepare? In most cases, no special preparation is needed for a CBC, and you can eat and drink normally before the test. Tell your provider about all medicines, vitamins, and supplements you take, since some can affect the results. If your CBC is being done together with other blood tests that require fasting, your health care team will give you specific instructions.
No special preparation such as fasting is typically required for this test. However, follow any specific instructions provided by your healthcare provider. Inform your doctor about any medications or supplements you are taking, as they may affect test results.
Reference range
Reference ranges vary by laboratory and assay methodology; generally, results are reported in arbitrary units (kU/L or U/mL) with interpretation categories (negative, low, moderate, high). Negative: <0.35 kU/L; Low: 0.35-0.69 kU/L; Moderate: 0.70-3.49 kU/L; High: 3.50-17.49 kU/L; Very High: ≥17.5 kU/L. Consult laboratory-specific reference values.N/A
No special patient preparation required. Fasting is not necessary. Patient should inform provider of any antihistamine or corticosteroid use, as these may affect IgG antibody levels.
Clinical interpretation
How abnormal results are interpreted and what conditions they suggest.
Elevated IgG antibodies to beet may suggest a food sensitivity or immune response to beet proteins. However, it's important to note that the presence of food-specific IgG antibodies can also be a normal immune response to food exposure and does not necessarily indicate an allergy or intolerance. Results should always be interpreted in the context of your clinical symptoms and medical history by a qualified healthcare professional. This test is not a definitive diagnostic tool for food allergies (which typically involve IgE antibodies) and is often used as part of a comprehensive nutritional assessment.
Frequently asked questions
What do high IgG levels mean?
Is this the same as a beet allergy test?
Will I need to avoid beets if my results are high?
How long does it take to get results?
Sources
- 1LOINC - Beet IgG AbSource
- 2
Click any link to access the full source. PubMed Central (PMC) links provide free full-text access.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
This content is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you have about a medical condition, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you read here.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your local emergency number or go to the nearest emergency department immediately.
Medically reviewed by WellAlly Editorial Team Last reviewed August 16, 2026. · Read our editorial policy