The Best At-Home Food Sensitivity Tests of 2020

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First Look

Best Overall: Vitagene
Best Reviews: Everlywell
Least Invasive: 5Strands Test from Walmart
Most Expansive: Check My Body Health
Most Accurate: CRI Genetics
Best Breath Test: FoodMarble
Best Lab Test: Request a Test

Worldwide, food sensitivities are on the rise, and medical experts are beginning to notice. People are starting to acknowledge how certain foods can make them feel sluggish, cause digestive issues, or even skin issues like eczema. If you feel like you may have a food sensitivity, finding out sooner rather than later is the wisest thing to do.

Food sensitivity tests are becoming more and more popular, especially those you can do from your living room couch. The problem, however, is that not all at-home food sensitivity tests are created equal. We found some of the best options for you and your family to learn all about any food sensitivities you may have.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Vitagene

Pros

Tests your overall health by checking for food sensitivities, suggesting which supplements your body needs, and determining which exercises your body best responds to
The information the tests provides helps you make healthier lifestyle choices

Cons

Expensive

Founded in 2014 by Mehdi Maghsoodnia and Dr. Reza Male, Vitagene is a DNA testing company that offers a range of tests.

The Vitagene at-home test is performed with a simple swab of your cheek, which is sent back to the lab for your results to be analyzed. This test does more than check for food sensitivities: It provides an entire health report.

Your results will provide you with a review of your DNA to see what food sensitivities you are likely to develop in the future, the best type of workouts for your body, and a list of supplements that your body is craving. This website claims that this information can provide the information to help increase your energy, improver your sleep, and reduce stress.

Vitagene offers three tests: a Health + Ancestry Report (about $89), a Premium Report (roughly $109), and a Vitality Bundle (around $269). Included is information about your skin, diet, supplement, fitness, and ancestry.

Best Reviews: Everlywell

Pros

Over 4,000 5-star reviews
An Independent, board-certified specialist will review results before sending them to you

Cons

Not covered by insurance

Everlywell removes a lot of the work out of taking a food sensitivity test with this at-home kit. After receiving the kit in the mail, all you need is to follow the simple directions to provide a blood sample, which is easily done with a single prick of a fingertip. Then you just return the sample for testing.

Everlywell uses several checkpoints in its system to ensure your privacy when it comes to test results.

Once you receive your results, you will be able to see a range of food sensitivities for up to nearly 100 foods that you may want to try to remove via an elimination diet. This test is an excellent tool for helping guide your health.

Everlywell's food sensitivity test costs about $159 and examines related symptoms like fatigue, stomach pain, feeling bloated after eating, indigestion, migraines, and headaches.

Least Invasive: 5Strands Test From Walmart

Pros

Screens for over 600 allergies

Cons

Not covered by insurance
5Strands does not provide testing for IgE- or IgG-mediated responses (true allergy involving the immune system causing anaphylaxis response)

The 5Strands test from Walmart is a simple assessment that utilizes bio-resonance technology on strands of your hair to decipher your food sensitivities. This may be the answer to symptoms such as an upset stomach, headaches, bloating, joint pain, or even water retention that you may be having.

Once you send in your hair strands, technicians will take seven to 10 days to test for over 600 food sensitivities like gluten, lactose, true proteins, and more. Your results will allow you to make wise choices for your diet in the future.

The 5Strands food intolerance test costs about $72 and checks for sensitivities surrounding proteins, grains, dairy, fruits, vegetables, nuts, alcohols, preservatives, additives, and more. Note: 5Strands doesn't test of IgE- or IgG-mediated responses. The results will reveal the severity of the response from exposure to each item tested.

Most Expansive: Check My Body Health

Pros

Tests for over 970 food and non-food sensitivities in your body
Offers family and couple packages
Well-priced

Cons

Little guidance for dietary changes after results are received

The food intolerance assessment offered by Check my Body Health is boasted as the most comprehensive food sensitivity test in the United States.

The company uses the latest technology to check your body for over 970 food and non-food sensitivities. Its use in bio-resonance testing makes it one of the global leaders in at-home food sensitivity tests because it examines a wide variety of sensitivities.

The assessment examines food and drink, environmental sensitivity, heavy metals, minerals, vitamins A-K, additives, gut health, and digestion. You'll get your results between three and five days, free elimination diet advice, and a free food diary template.

The standard Maxi Health kit (one test) costs about $80, while the Maxi Test Couples kit (two tests) is around $128, and the Maxi Test Family kit (four tests) is roughly $224.

Most Accurate: CRI Genetics

Pros

Test is performed through a mouth swab
Proven as the most accurate food sensitivity test
Well-priced

Cons

Results take six to eight weeks
Women cannot take the Y-DNA test, so the information is limited compared to men

The scientific results are in, and the CRI Genetics test is the most accurate and comprehensive at-home food sensitivity test.

Created by scientists looking to improve people's lives, this assessment uses your DNA to decode what foods you are sensitive to. This food sensitivity test has won several awards with its accuracy in 2020 and is definitely worth looking into if you suspect you're having food and drink allergy issues.

The company's Allergy + Health test costs about $199 and provides reports for all allergies, health, and weight loss. The DNA guide helps you maximize your results and will assist you in being your healthiest.

It's protected by an eight-week efficiency guarantee, meaning the company will ensure there is a quick turnaround time from when you buy the test to when you receive your report—or you'll get a refund. And, CRI Genetics will store your reports and DNA samples for as long as you want.

Best Breath Test: FoodMarble

Pros

Detailed testing
The consistent logging of food will encourage mindfulness when eating

Cons

More work on your end—you must log all of your food intakes

Founded by Aonghus Shortt in 2015, FoodMarble created the first ever digestive tracker.

The company's food sensitivity test is one of the most interesting, as it uses your breath to create results. FoodMarble sends you a breath test device that pairs with an app to help you make the best food choices.

First, you log your food onto the app, and then you blow into the breath test device. The test tracks hydrogen levels in your breath, which uncovers the foods your body cannot digest well. The longer you track your foods, the more detailed of an analysis you will have.

FoodMarble's digestive breath tracker costs about $159. You can also add a FODMAP program for about $29 to test some common and hard-to-digest food components, including lactose, fructose, sorbitol, and inulin.

Best Lab Test: Request A Test

Pros

Testing checks blood for specific antibodies, which the body creates when food sensitivities are present

Affordable

Cons

Company's tests don't look for every food or allergen, so you might need to order multiple

Founded in 2002, Request A Test is a leading name in direct-to-consumer lab tests. This testing company is one of the most affordable lab testing centers available to the public. For its at-home food sensitivity tests, the Food Allergy Panel 1 is the best option for someone researching any food sensitivities that their body may have.

At Request A Test, the company offers this food sensitivity test through an at-home blood check (a slight finger prick) with a quick turnaround, so that you can quickly adjust your diet. The company's blood allergy tests looks for specific antibodies (IgE), which the body produces in response to substances that a person is allergic to.

Request A Test's Food Allergy Panels range in cost from about $149 to $169, while panels for specific allergies cost roughly $39 each. Results are typically available between five and eight business days.

How We Chose the Best At-Home Food Sensitivity Tests

When evaluating these companies, we looked at dozens of them to help narrow down the best at-home food sensitivity tests for you and your family. After reviewing them extensively, we concluded that cost mixed with accuracy enabled us to decipher the best options for VeryWell Health’s readers.

Through our research, we learned that several at-home tests do not have the scientific backing to ensure that their results are 100% accurate. While some results take up to eight weeks to be sent to you or require extra work on your end, rest assured that these results will benefit your diet in the long run.

Vitagene earned the title of best overall for its variety of tests and its ability to uncover which food sensitivities you are likely to develop in the future. It also reveals the best type of workouts for your body and a list of supplements that your body is craving. CRI Genetics was determined to be the most accurate assessment for its DNA guide, which helps people become their healthiest. FoodMarble stood out for being the first digestive tracker and a breath test instead of a blood one.

What Is a Food Sensitivity?

Like allergies, food sensitivities affect the digestive process for your body to perform at full capacity. They are often shown in symptoms that make you feel uncomfortable, and they are challenging to diagnose. While medical professionals finally recognize food sensitivities as a serious diagnosis, it is essential to mention that food sensitivities are rarely life-threatening.

Your body can develop food intolerances at any point in your life, which is why the at-home tests mentioned in this article are so great. They test for dozens of food allergies, including the top 10 food sensitivities.

What Is an At-Home Food Sensitivity Test?

An at-home food sensitivity test is excellent for discovering those foods that the body just doesn’t agree with. After you receive the package in the mail, you will administer a body sample (usually in the form of blood, mouth swab, or even your own breath), and after a few weeks, you will be able to analyze your results from a physician.

These tests are often very credible in testing for food sensitivities, but they will not serve you well with an allergy test. It is essential to recognize the difference between food sensitivities and food allergies.

Are At-Home Food Sensitivity Tests Reliable?

The at-home food sensitivity test business has become increasingly more reliable; companies have worked closely with clinical physicians to establish better results for patients. Listed above are some of the most credible at-home tests for food sensitivities that you can find with the highest accuracy reported in their field.

Is Food Sensitivity the Same as Food Allergy?

A food allergy is different than food sensitivity based on how the body reacts to certain foods. If you are looking for an at-home allergy test, VerryWell has created a list of some of the best at-home allergy tests. These assessments work very similarly to the food sensitivity tests listed above, where you'll provide a body sample of blood or mouth swab, and you'll receive the results within a few weeks.

What Samples Do I Need to Send in for an At-Home Food Sensitivity Test?

The at-home food sensitivity tests listed in this article were chosen for their accuracy and ease in providing a sample. These assessments are the least invasive, most effortless samples to provide to receive your results. The samples that these tests use range from a breath test and a cheek swab to a simple finger prick and a drop of blood.

What Does an At-Home Food Sensitivity Test Include?

Each at-home food sensitivity kit includes the test: an item like a swab for your cheek, a device to prick your finger and collect a drop of blood, or a breath counter that tracks the amount of hydrogen in your breath. Once you send in your test with the return package (which is also included), the company will send back your results virtually after being reviewed by a medical professional.

How Much Do At-Home Food Sensitivity Tests Cost?

The tests featured in this article vary in cost from roughly $40 to $200, depending on which food groups you are hoping to test and the method you are looking to use.

Will My Insurance Cover At-Home Food Sensitivity Tests?

Most insurance companies will not cover the cost of an at-home food sensitivity test. You can go into your primary care physician and get tested, where your chances are higher of getting covered, although it's not guaranteed.