Food sensitivities are rising worldwide, and medical experts are beginning to notice. More accessible information has drawn more people’s attention to how certain foods can make them feel sluggish, cause digestive issues, or even lead to skin issues like eczema. At-home tests have become a popular and convenient way for many to test for potential sensitivities without the expense and hassle of seeing a specialist. It is worth noting that a food sensitivity test is not the same thing as an allergy test. If you have experienced symptoms of a food allergy, such as dizziness, a runny nose, an itchy or tight throat, hives, or trouble breathing, you may want to start with an at-home allergy test. However, you should not rely solely on these tests. Confirmatory allergy testing should be done in a healthcare setting where you can be monitored for a severe reaction. On the other hand, if you suspect you have a mild-to-moderate food sensitivity, an at-home test may be a perfect option. But, not all at-home food sensitivity tests are created equal. Some home tests require a simple cheek swab, while others will ask you to do a finger prick to draw blood. There are also significant differences in how the test results are analyzed. Some testing companies provide a long list of results, while others only focus on a few food groups. To help you find the best at-home food sensitivity test, we researched over two dozen available tests on the market and considered a wide range of needs, testing options, and types of food intolerances tested. Reviews, company-claimed accuracy, cost, and convenience all helped us come up with the list below. Best At-Home Food Sensitivity Tests Best At-Home Food Sensitivity Tests Final Verdict Compare Providers Guide to Choose Frequently Asked Questions Methodology Key Specs Why We Chose It Everlywell’s comprehensive test, which checks your body’s immune response to 96 foods, and easy-to-use finger prick sample collection have earned it rave reviews. Pros & Cons Pros Over 4,000 5-star reviews An independent, board-certified specialist will review results before sending them to you Easily performed test Cons Not covered by insurance Overview 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 collect a blood sample, quickly done with a single prick of a fingertip. Then, you return the sample for testing using a prepaid shipping label. Everlywell says it only shares customer data with labs and its physicians and uses “bank grade” encryption 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 taking the guesswork out of your food sensitivity discovery process. Everlywell's food sensitivity test costs about $199 and offers insights into what foods may be triggering symptoms like fatigue, stomach pain, bloating after eating, indigestion, migraines, and headaches. Key Specs Why We Chose It Check My Body Health checks for over 970 food and non-food sensitivities, making it one of the most comprehensive tests available online. Pros & Cons Pros Tests for over 970 food and non-food sensitivities in your body Offers family and couple packages Well-priced Cons Sparse research on bio-resonance testing Not much advice offered on dietary changes Overview Check My Body Health boasts that its food intolerance assessment is the most comprehensive food sensitivity test in the United States. The company uses recently developed technology to check your body for over 970 food and non-food sensitivities, making it one of the broadest tests on the global market. However. Check My Body uses bio-resonance testing, about which research is sparse. The assessment measures potential sensitivities to food and drink, environmental triggers, heavy metals, minerals, vitamins A through K, and additives, as well as metrics of gut health and digestion. You'll get your results in as little as three days, plus free elimination diet advice, and a free food diary template. The standard Complete Sensitivity kit (one test) costs $38, while the Complete Sensitivity Couples kit (two tests) is $60, and the Complete Sensitivity Family kit (four tests) is $110. Key Specs Why We Chose It CRI Genetics’s food sensitivity test uses your DNA to provide reports for all allergies, health, and factors affecting your weight and metabolism. Pros & Cons Pros Minimally invasive mouth swab sample collection Proven as an accurate and comprehensive test Fairly priced Cons Results take six to eight weeks Women cannot take the Y chromosome DNA test, so information for them is limited Overview CRI Genetics test is an accurate and comprehensive at-home food sensitivity test. Created by scientists looking to improve people's lives, this assessment uses your DNA to decode your food sensitivities. The test won several awards for its accuracy in 2020 and is 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 on your genetic risks for allergies to things like peanuts, eggs, dust mites, and dogs. The DNA guide helps you maximize your results with insights into diet and lifestyle changes you can make to suit your genetics. 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. Key Specs Why We Chose It FoodMarble uses breath analysis to measure which foods you can digest most successfully and sends results right to a connected app. Pros & Cons Pros Detailed testing The consistent logging of food will encourage mindfulness when eating Instant results Similar to technology used in doctor's offices Cons You must log all of your food intakes Overview Founded by Aonghus Shortt in 2014, FoodMarble created the first-ever direct-to-consumer digestive tracker. The company's food sensitivity test is the most similar to what a gastroenterologist would use in their office, in that it uses your breath to assess food intolerances. Hydrogen breath tests are the standard to test for intolerances for certain kinds of sugars such as lactose (found in dairy products) and fructose (found in fruits, some vegetables, and honey) that can cause conditions like IBS. 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 indicates when your body is struggling to digest foods.The longer you track your foods and subsequent hydrogen levels, the more detailed analysis you will get. Unlike other tests, FoodMarble’s breath test has been validated by other labs and uses effectively the same technology that gastroenterologists use. However, breath tests are only clinically used to detect a few specific intolerances and are not used to test for peanut intolerances, for example. FoodMarble's digestive breath tracker costs about $159. You can also add a FODMAP program for about $29 to test some standard and hard-to-digest food components, including lactose, fructose, sorbitol, and inulin. Key Specs Why We Chose It Fast and reliable, Request A Test builds on its reputation as a major name in direct-to-consumer lab testing to offer convenient food allergy panels. Pros & Cons Pros Testing checks blood for specific antibodies, which the body creates when food sensitivities are present Affordable Panel 1 tests for 90% of food allergies Cons No all-in-one test panel Requires going to a lab in person Overview 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. Its popular Panel 1 tests a customer’s blood for 10 sensitivities that cause about 90% of all food allergies, including red meat, eggs, milk, shellfish, wheat (gluten), and peanuts. Request A Test allows you to order the testing panel you want from a LabCorp or Quest lab. Next, you have to go to the lab to have your blood drawn. It will then be analyzed in a CLIA-certified lab (the regulatory gold standard) for antibodies that your body produces in response to foods to which you may be sensitive. Although the timeline is subject to the volume of testing happening at the lab you choose, you will generally get results in just five to eight days. Request A Test's Food Allergy Panels range from about $149 to $209, while panels for specific allergies cost roughly $39 each. Food sensitivities can cause constant discomfort and inconvenience. If you believe a food intolerance may be causing your symptoms, an at-home test can be a useful first step to figuring out which foods you should avoid. There are no FDA-approved at-home food sensitivity tests and the gold standard for food sensitivity diagnosis is a methodical elimination diet. Home testing companies may help you narrow down which foods you should try eliminating. Tests like those offered by Everlywell and Request A Test require a blood sample, but they can provide comprehensive information by testing for your immune response to dozens of foods. They also provide results in as little as five days. If you’re experiencing symptoms, it’s best to consult a healthcare professional, but an at-home sensitivity test can help you get a better insight into your food tolerance and get you on a path to better nutrition and wellness. Like allergies, food sensitivities are reactions to foods that are difficult for a person to digest. They are often indicated by unpleasant symptoms like bloating and they are notoriously challenging to diagnose. In recent years, medical professionals have more readily recognized food sensitivities as real health issues that affect quality of life, but they are rarely life-threatening. This distinguishes intolerances or sensitivities from food allergies, which can be lethal and should only be tested for with medical supervision. You can develop food intolerances at any point in your life, so if you have noticed that lately, your stomach is upset every time you eat a steak or share a cheese plate—foods that are among the top 10 causes of sensitivities—an at-home test may be a useful first step in confirming the cause of your discomfort. An at-home food sensitivity test lets you collect a sample, such as blood, hair or breath, that may have markers of your body’s difficulty digesting a food. These samples are analyzed for certain immune cells, energy wavelengths, or hydrogen (depending on the type of test) to generate results that tell you which foods are likely culprits of your discomfort. . These tests may offer useful clues about 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. At-home food sensitivity tests can help you discover food intolerances. However, tests use different technologies with varying accuracy and some may only test for a few possible sensitivities. Here are some factors to consider when choosing a food sensitivity test. 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. A food allergy differs from a food sensitivity based on how the body reacts to certain foods. An allergy is an immune response, while food sensitivities cause digestive issues. If you are looking for an at-home allergy test, we have 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 a mouth swab, and you'll receive the results within a few weeks. 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 to a cheek swab, hair sample, or a simple finger prick to acquire a drop of blood. 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. Most insurance companies will not cover the cost of an at-home food sensitivity test. If you have insurance and would like it to cover the test, check with your provider and doctor to see what your options are for an in-office test. 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. Everlywell 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. Additional reporting by Stephanie Valera. Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Gupta RS, Warren CM, Smith BM, et al. Prevalence and severity of food allergies among us adults.JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(1):e185630. Cleveland Clinic. Food allergy vs. intolerance: What’s the difference?. FoodMarble. About us. Request A Test. About us. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback?Best At-Home Food Sensitivity Tests of 2024
Best Reviews : Everlywell
Most Expansive : Check My Body Health
Most Accurate : CRI Genetics
Best Breath Test : FoodMarble
Best Lab Test : Request A Test
Final Verdict
Compare At-Home Food Sensitivity Tests
At-Home Food Sensitivity Test Price Sample collection Results Everlywell
Best ReviewsStarts at $199 Finger prick 5-7 days Check My Body Health
Most ExpansiveStarts at $38 Hair sample 3-5 days CRI Genetics
Most AccurateStarts at $199 Mouth swab 6-8 weeks FoodMarble
Best Breath TestStarts at $159 Breath test device Real-time Request A Test
Best Lab TestStarts at $149 Finger prick 5-8 business days Guide to Choosing the Best At-Home Food Sensitivity Test
What Is a Food Sensitivity?
What Is an At-Home Food Sensitivity Test?
How to Compare Best At-Home Food Sensitivity Tests
Frequently Asked Questions
Are At-Home Food Sensitivity Tests Reliable?
Is Food Sensitivity the Same as Food Allergy?
What Samples Do I Need to Send in for an At-Home Food Sensitivity Test?
What Does an At-Home Food Sensitivity Test Include?
Will My Insurance Cover At-Home Food Sensitivity Tests?
Methodology
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FAQs
The Best At-Home Food Sensitivity Tests of 2024? ›
IgE blood test
The allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) blood test is the type used in doctor's offices to identify food allergies. Similarly, food allergy skin testing is done by an allergist and is the most sensitive way to identify food allergies.
IgE blood test
The allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) blood test is the type used in doctor's offices to identify food allergies. Similarly, food allergy skin testing is done by an allergist and is the most sensitive way to identify food allergies.
There are several types of food intolerance tests. The most accurate ones are: Blood test: For testing for coeliac disease and for gluten intolerance. Hydrogen breath test: Used to diagnose lactose intolerance.
Are at home food sensitivity tests legit? ›In short: No. There's limited evidence to support using a food sensitivity test at home. Many of these tests measure your body's immune response to a variety of foods by testing the levels of certain antibodies in your blood, such as IgG and IgG4, after you're exposed to various food antigens.
Is Everlywell food sensitivity test accurate? ›Clinicians typically advise against IgG testing because it can provide inaccurate and misleading information, causing people to cut out nutritious foods from their diet. There's limited evidence supporting the accuracy of IgG testing to check for food sensitivities.
What is the test for foods causing inflammation? ›The MRT is a simple, patented blood test that identifies our body's reactions to 140 foods and 30 food chemicals by measuring the number of mediators released and the subsequent changes in white blood cells. In this way, the MRT test can identify which items cause an inflammatory response in your body.
How can I test my food intolerance at-home? ›At-home food sensitivity tests use a small blood sample that you can collect yourself by pricking your finger. You send your sample to a laboratory where it is exposed to different food proteins and analyzed for levels of a protein called immunoglobulin G (IgG).
Do food sensitivity tests actually work? ›But medical organizations, including those in the United States, Europe and Canada, have recommended against using food sensitivity or intolerance tests because there is no good evidence that they work. “There isn't anything in your hair that would tell you anything about your sensitivity to food,” Dr.
Do any food intolerance tests work? ›Some tests you can buy that claim to diagnose food intolerances are not recommended. There's limited evidence that they give accurate results and they may suggest you should avoid multiple foods, which can be harmful.
What are the 3 most common food intolerances? ›The three most common food intolerances are lactose, a sugar found in milk, casein, a protein found in milk, and gluten, a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley.
Why do allergists not like food sensitivity tests? ›
First, they may lead to false diagnoses, with the associated anxiety and useless strict avoidance diet. Worst, they may lead truly allergic people to believe they are not allergic to certain foods, which could cause them to eat a food they are allergic to and have a life-threatening reaction.
Is hair or blood better for food sensitivity test? ›What's the difference between hair and blood testing? IgG antibodies are only present in the blood and cannot be identified from a hair sample.
Are food intolerance kits worth it? ›The advice from expert groups around the world is that IgG tests should not be used as an attempt to diagnose an intolerance. If you think that you, or your children, may have a food intolerance, then you should talk to your doctor and try an 'elimination diet'.
What is the gold standard for food sensitivity testing? ›To confirm your test results, your allergist may recommend an oral food challenge, which is the gold standard for food allergy diagnosis. However, the procedure can be costly, time-consuming, and in some cases is potentially dangerous, so it is not routinely performed.
Why is Everlywell not allowed in NY? ›Everlywell tests are currently available to residents in 49 U.S. states. With the exception of the COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit, we currently do not offer tests to residents of New York state. This is due to the state's regulations around testing. We hope to eventually offer all of our tests in all 50 states.
Which shark invested in Everlywell? ›After Lori Greiner joined Everlywell as an investor on season 9 of Shark Tank, Everlywell was able to make incredible strides to grow the company.
What is the gold standard or most accurate test for diagnosing a food allergy? ›Simply put, an oral food challenge is where your allergist feeds your child a food to see if they have an allergic reaction. Oral food challenges are the gold standard of food allergy diagnosis. It is a controlled process done in your allergist's office.
Is there a difference between a food sensitivity test and a food allergy test? ›Well, in food sensitivity tests—especially at-home tests—they look at the IgG in your blood. Although these tests may claim to be allergy tests, since they do not test for the presence of IgE antibodies, it means that they are not testing for allergic sensitization.
How do naturopaths test for food sensitivities? ›To help take the guesswork out of your diet, we can test for food sensitivities using a blood test called a total IgG Food Sensitivity Test. This test is an alternative to the Elimination Diet and offers a quick and convenient way to identify foods that cause food sensitivities.