The Best Food Sensitivity Test

Our guide has everything you need to know about at-home testing for food sensitivities, allergies, and intolerances.

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Medically reviewed by:
Last updated: Dec 27th, 2023
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The best food sensitivity tests 2024

Photo by Innerbody Research

Food sensitivities and allergies have become increasingly common in recent years. Around 33 million people in the U.S. have food allergies. That includes one in every ten adults and one in every 13 children. Overall, the prevalence of food allergy in children increased by 50% between 1997 and 2011.

On top of that, rates of food sensitivity and food intolerance among people are even higher. For instance, about 65% of people live with some degree of lactose intolerance.

Over the last few years, testing techniques have made it easier than ever to help you start identifying which foods or ingredients are negatively impacting your life. At-home and lab testing for allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances can help you and your doctor identify the next steps you need to take.

In this guide, we delve into various tests offered and recommend which tests could be a good choice for you. (And those that might not be.)

Summary of our recommendations:

  • Best food sensitivity test: Everlywell
  • Most comprehensive: Everlywell
  • Best budget pick: myLAB Box
  • Best for IBS, SIBO, and FODMAP sensitivities: FoodMarble
  • Fastest results: FoodMarble
  • Best food allergy test: Everlywell
Best Food Sensitivity Test

Everlywell is our top choice for at-home food sensitivity testing. It conveniently checks sensitivity to a wide variety of foods and gives a clear report of results.

The test from Everlywell offers you a comprehensive assessment of IgG reactivity levels for 96 different foods. Everlywell is a highly trustworthy kit provider, and this test can help many people plan elimination diets — perhaps especially, people with IBS, Crohn’s, obesity, and/or migraines.

Shop on Everlywell and save 15% with code INNERBODY15.

Table of Contents

In this Review

Why you should trust us

Over the past two decades, Innerbody Research has helped tens of millions of readers make more informed decisions to live healthier lifestyles. As with all of the services and products we review, we evaluated the food sensitivity and food allergy tests in this guide based on the latest medical evidence and health standards.

All told, our team has spent over 155 hours gaining hands-on experience with these tests and researching food sensitivities, food allergies, food intolerances, and each of the testing services we cover in this guide. As the research surrounding food sensitivity testing continues to evolve, we’ll update our guide and recommendations accordingly.

Additionally, like all health-related content on this website, this guide was thoroughly vetted by one or more members of our Medical Review Board for accuracy.

How we evaluated our top picks

If you’re in the market for a food sensitivity or food allergy test, you or someone you care about is likely experiencing uncomfortable or distressing symptoms related to food and digestion. And when looking for answers or guidance from a test, you typically want accurate results and helpful information at a reasonable price without having to wait too long for results. With all of that in mind, we focused on four critically important factors — accuracy, helpfulness, cost, and results speed.

Helpfulness

Winner: Everlywell

Everlywell as a service stands out here for several reasons:

  • It offers the most comprehensive food sensitivity test with 204 foods tested.
  • It’s currently the only at-home testing company to offer a food allergy test (others require you to go in person to a lab).
  • The company also offers a celiac disease screening test (celiac disease falls into a bit of a gray area between food allergy and sensitivity).
  • You can receive support and guidance from an Everlywell-affiliated healthcare professional if your food allergy or celiac disease tests come back positive.

With all of this in mind, Everlywell could make an ideal one-stop shop for trying to determine the cause of your concerns.

FoodMarble is close behind Everlywell in helpfulness. While it can be helpful for anyone who wants to track how different foods affect them, we feel it’s particularly helpful for people with SIBO, IBS, FODMAP sensitivities, or carbohydrate malabsorption.

Along with your hydrogen breath test results, the FoodMarble app allows you to track your meals, symptoms, sleep, stress, bowel movements, and menstrual periods (if applicable). The app also provides an analysis of the ingredients in your meals (including detailed FODMAP content and nutrition information).

Accuracy

Winner: FoodMarble

Clinical hydrogen breath tests have been a staple of non-invasive testing for digestive concerns, like lactose intolerance, since the 1970s. Within the past decade or so, it’s also become a popular tool for evaluating patients for conditions such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and carbohydrate malabsorption.

FoodMarble offers an at-home version of a clinical hydrogen breath test — and research suggests it performs just as well as the clinical tests. It’s because of this research (and the continued clinical utilization of the testing method) that we chose FoodMarble as our winner for accuracy.

Everlywell’s Food Allergy test is a close second in its own right, however, due to research suggesting that measuring serum IgE antibodies is comparable to the often-used (and more sensitive) skin prick test for food allergies.

Cost

Winner: myLAB Box

myLAB Box and Everlywell both offer basic food sensitivity tests that check your reaction to 96 common foods. But myLAB Box’s test costs $50 less than Everlywell’s, and this price difference grows even wider if you use our promo code INNERBODY20 (20% off) on your myLAB Box test.

When you take 20% off the myLAB Box test, it goes from $149 to $119.20, making it the least expensive at-home testing option in this guide. The next closest one would be Everlywell’s allergy test using our INNERBODY15 (15%) code — taking it from $149 to $126.65.

Some single-item food allergy tests from direct-to-customer lab order company Personalabs are even less expensive, like its $61 tomato allergy test, but those are likely only beneficial to those who have narrowed down their symptoms to a particular food.

Results speed

Winner: FoodMarble

When you do breath testing with FoodMarble, you don’t have to wait long at all to get your results — the device analyzes your breath in only a few seconds. Of course, the device has to go through a quick two-minute-long “warm up” period before you can test, but this is still much faster than the samples you ship in the mail.

For those who want to utilize FoodMarble’s food intolerance FODMAP test kit, however, it’s important to note that the entire process takes six weeks. There’s a baseline week, a low-FODMAP “reset” week, and then one week dedicated to each of the four included FODMAPs. The results per breath test are still available within only a few seconds, it’s just that the test as a whole takes quite a while.

In terms of the at-home test kits, our testers experienced a pretty wide range of turnaround times for their myLAB Box results. For example, one tester’s myLAB Box results took 12 days, while another’s took about three. Everlywell, on the other hand, was pretty consistent — our testers’ results took 3-5 days on average.

How our top recommendations compare

The Best Food Sensitivity Test Lineup

Photo by Innerbody Research

The chart below breaks down how our top recommendations compare to each other, including what the tests measure, the number of foods evaluated, cost, promo codes, and more.

Everlywell Food Sensitivity
Everlywell Food Allergy
FoodMarble device
FoodMarble Food Intolerance Kit
myLAB Box Food Sensitivity
Price
$199 (basic); $299 (comprehensive)
$149
$179 (AIRE); $249 (AIRE 2)
$49 (device required for testing)
$149
Promo code?
INNERBODY15 (15% off)
INNERBODY15 (15% off)
N/A
N/A
INNERBODY20 (20% off)
Price with promo code
$169.15 (basic); $254.15 (comprehensive)
$126.65
N/A
N/A
$119.20
What’s measured?
IgG antibodies
IgE antibodies
Hydrogen levels (AIRE); Hydrogen and methane (AIRE 2)
Depends on the device you have (hydrogen alone or hydrogen and methane)
IgG antibodies
Number of foods tested
96 (basic); 204 (comprehensive)
9 common food allergens
Anything you eat
4 FODMAPs: Lactose, fructose, sorbitol, and inulin
96 foods
Wait for results after sending sample
About a week
About a week
A few seconds after taking test
Results per test are available in seconds, but entire process (with multiple tests) takes 6 weeks
2-5 days

Differences between food sensitivity, allergy, and intolerance

The food you eat can greatly impact how your body and your mind feel. Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet should make you feel good and give you the energy you need to take on the day. But, for some people, certain foods, ingredients, or forms of nutrients can result in symptoms ranging from frustrating to life-threatening (depending on the cause), including, but not limited to:

  • Stomach upset
  • Joint pain
  • Fatigue
  • Brain fog
  • Anaphylaxis
  • Malnutrition

These negative reactions to food can often be attributed to one of the following conditions:

  • Food allergy
  • Food sensitivity
  • Food intolerance
  • Celiac disease

Food allergy, sensitivity, and intolerance are often used interchangeably or get confused with each other when, in fact, they’re very different concerns. And celiac disease actually falls into a gray area where it’s neither an intolerance nor a “true allergy,” but is an autoimmune condition that can still cause debilitating symptoms and — over an extended period of time — may lead to adverse health outcomes like infertility or peripheral neuropathy.

We’ve put together a quick chart for reference, breaking down the differences between food allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances, but you can read more about each condition further below.

AllergySensitivityIntolerance
How long until symptoms appear?Quickly, usually within minutes to hoursCould take up to three daysUsually within a few hours
Severity?Can range from mild (such as a runny nose or digestive upset) to severe and possibly life-threatening (anaphylaxis)Not life-threatening but can be significantly impactful on quality of life; can mimic allergic reactionsInconvenient or uncomfortable, but not life-threatening
Immune response?IgE antibodiesIgG antibodiesNo immune response
Prevalence in the United States5.8% of children; 6.2% of adultsUnknownUp to 24.8% of adults

Food allergy

When you think about the symptoms of a food allergy, what comes to mind? Does it evoke thoughts of characteristic anaphylactic symptoms like rash, swelling, and difficulty breathing or swallowing? If so, then it may be surprising to learn that food allergies can also lead to a variety of other, lesser-known symptoms, such as:

  • Stomach pain
  • Nausea
  • Abdominal cramping
  • Diarrhea
  • Eczema (in infants and children)
  • Asthma or wheezing
  • A runny nose
  • Light-headedness or fainting
  • An itchy mouth

Food allergies (and their wide range of symptoms) are commonly triggered by:

  • Peanuts
  • Tree nuts
  • Shellfish
  • Fish
  • Milk
  • Eggs
  • Wheat
  • Soy

Additionally, some people experience a rare food allergy called “Alpha-gal syndrome.” This condition is primarily caused by a bite from a lone star tick, and it often leads to allergic reactions to meat. There’s currently no treatment for Alpha-gal syndrome, but, over time, the antibodies decline and the reactions may stop.

Food sensitivity

Food sensitivity isn’t life-threatening like a food allergy, but it is an immune response that can mimic a mild allergic reaction. Food sensitivity symptoms can take up to three days to appear, often making it difficult to link the symptoms to certain foods. Some of these symptoms include:

  • Brain fog
  • Fatigue
  • Flushed skin
  • Itching
  • Muscle or joint pain
  • Headaches
  • Migraines
  • Sneezing
  • Congested or runny nose

You can technically be sensitive to any food, but gluten appears to be the best-known trigger for food sensitivities. And being sensitive to gluten doesn’t mean you have celiac disease or a wheat allergy — it may be non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

Food intolerance

Unlike the other two, food intolerance doesn’t trigger an immune response. Instead, intolerances are due to your body lacking a certain digestive enzyme or not absorbing certain nutrients as it should. The most common food intolerance is lactose intolerance (68% of the world’s population has lactose malabsorption), which often results in heartburn, gas, bloating, abdominal pain, or diarrhea after eating dairy products. A few other common food intolerances are:

  • Histamine (A naturally occurring compound found in some foods, such as cheese, pineapples, bananas, chocolate, and wine)
  • Caffeine
  • FODMAPs (Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols)

Typically, gastrointestinal symptoms of a food intolerance start within a few hours. And while the symptoms can be highly uncomfortable, they’re not life-threatening like an allergy.

What is food sensitivity testing?

Food sensitivity testing is most often conducted using a blood sample to check for an immune reaction to certain foods. These blood tests, like those from Everlywell and myLAB Box, check for the production of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies. (In contrast, food allergy tests look for IgE antibodies.)

Within the past few years, however, this type of testing has also expanded to at-home hydrogen breath test devices, like the FoodMarble AIRE, to monitor how well your body is digesting or absorbing food. While everyone produces some hydrogen during the fermentation process of digestion, consistently high levels of hydrogen may indicate potential issues, like carbohydrate malabsorption or excess bacteria in the small bowel. This type of testing can be particularly useful for individuals with lactose intolerance, IBS, SIBO, or sensitivities to fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (collectively known as FODMAPs).

Does food sensitivity testing work?

The answer to this largely depends on what you’re hoping to get out of the results. There’s evidence that many people can benefit from testing, but if you’re looking for conclusive results that won’t require further investigation, unfortunately, that won’t be the case at this time.

When considering IgG blood tests, research generally points to them being inconclusive in determining food sensitivities, mainly because IgG antibodies can also be produced by exposure in those without intolerances. But the results can help give you a convenient starting point for collaborating with your doctor to find the root cause of your symptoms — potentially through an elimination diet. In fact, a 2018 study suggested that IgG testing can be particularly beneficial for planning elimination diets for patients with IBS, migraines, obesity, and Crohn's disease. (Also, it’s worth noting that the same level of caution applies to at-home tests for food allergies and celiac disease; they’re all meant to be a helping hand in further conversations with a medical professional.)

Now, hydrogen breath testing, on the other hand, actually has a fair amount of research backing it up. It’s often used in clinical settings to diagnose digestive conditions, like SIBO, IBS, and lactose intolerance. The FoodMarble AIRE has been pitted against the standard clinical tests in several research studies and seemingly performed just as well. While the device can’t be used to diagnose any conditions, it should be able to reliably help you monitor sensitivities for sharing with your doctor.

As you can see, no matter which test you choose, the results are simply tools that can help guide your journey to finding the root cause of your food sensitivities.

Testing for food allergies

Currently, the only at-home food allergy test is from Everlywell. Otherwise, food allergies need to be tested in a lab. If you’d rather not wait for a doctor’s appointment or you don’t have insurance, then companies that sell lab orders online, like Personalabs, could be a good alternative. (Some of these direct-to-customer lab order companies, such as Walk-In Lab, also offer in-person testing for food sensitivities and intolerances, if you’d prefer.)

While most of the online lab orders for food allergy tests are blood tests, there are two other methods used to evaluate food allergies. The chart below explains all three of these tests.

Skin test

A skin test (also called a skin prick) involves pricking the skin with a small probe containing a minuscule amount of the food allergen. This test takes about 15-30 minutes and is considered positive if a wheal (a bump resembling a mosquito bite) appears at the testing site.

Blood test

Blood tests are less sensitive than skin tests for diagnosing food allergies. This test measures the amount of IgE antibodies produced in response to specific test foods. Your immune system produces a different type of IgE to fight different allergens. If the IgE in your blood binds to a tested allergen, you likely have an allergy to it. Results for in-lab allergen blood tests can take a few days a week.

Oral food challenge

This test is employed in specific circumstances to confirm uncertain test results, as it can be time-consuming and potentially dangerous. An oral food challenge test involves gradually eating increasing amounts of a suspected allergen over a period of time while being strictly monitored by an allergist (with emergency medication and equipment on hand).

Who is at-home food sensitivity testing for?

If it seems like your body reacts negatively to certain foods, taking a blood test for food sensitivities or intolerances could be something to consider. If you receive a result that concerns you, then it’s recommended that you bring it to your doctor’s attention. They can discuss the results with you and come up with a plan for next steps, such as further testing, keeping a food journal, or trying an elimination diet.

Food allergy tests are for diagnosing and confirming a specific allergy. You might also be interested in a food allergy test if you have a family history of allergic reactions. Confirming an allergy helps you and your doctor develop a care plan. This may involve strategies for avoiding certain foods, emergency medications, or plans on how to care for yourself if you inadvertently consume an allergen.

And at-home hydrogen breath testing can be a useful (if pricey) method for quickly determining offending foods if you’re willing to stick to a frequent testing routine.

Who should look elsewhere for testing?

There are some circumstances where our recommendations for at-home testing for food sensitivities, intolerances, and allergies may not be ideal for you. Here are some examples and alternative approaches:

  • For all tests: You experience severe reactions to certain foods (like trouble breathing or swallowing). In this case, seeking guidance from a doctor as soon as possible is highly recommended.
  • For hydrogen breath tests: You don’t produce (or underproduce) hydrogen during the digestive process. This is fairly uncommon, but some people actually produce higher levels of methane instead. You can still use at-home breath tests, but you’ll need to use one that detects both hydrogen and methane. The FoodMarble AIRE 2 detects both.
  • For blood tests: You’re squeamish about collecting your own blood sample. In this case, the in-lab alternatives could be ideal.
  • For the FoodMarble intolerance kit: You don’t have the time or opportunity to dedicate six weeks to consistently log every meal and test once an hour or so. The testing itself doesn’t take long (only a minute or two), but the FoodMarble FODMAP intolerance test requires a lengthy commitment. If this sounds too complicated or time-consuming, you might do better with a more casual approach, like writing an entry per day in a food journal.

Everlywell

Best overall, most comprehensive, and best allergy test

Pros

  • Two tiers of sensitivity testing, either 96 or 204 foods
  • Food allergy and celiac disease testing also available
  • Simple dried blood spot sample collection process
  • Physician support for positive food allergy or celiac disease results
  • User-friendly results
  • Take 15% off your test with code INNERBODY15

Cons

  • Prices have gone up recently
  • Tests not available in New York state
  • Only available for adults 18 and older

Currently, Everlywell offers four different test kits that could be used to help determine if your symptoms are caused by a food-related concern.

  • The Food Sensitivity Test evaluates your IgG reactivity to 96 foods ($169.15 with promo code).
  • Everlywell’s Food Sensitivity Comprehensive Test evaluates your IgG reactivity to 204 foods, including the 96 foods of the basic test ($254.15 with promo code).
  • The Food Allergy Test checks your IgE antibody reactivity to nine common food allergens ($126.65 with promo code).
  • The Celiac Disease Screening Test checks your sample for antibodies that might indicate celiac disease: IgA, tTG-IgA, and DGP-IgG ($101.15 with promo code).

The food allergy and sensitivity tests all have a similar results presentation — your reactivity for each allergen is charted on an easy-to-read color-coded line. (The celiac disease test presents you with positive or negative results instead of a range.) We found Everlywell’s results to be much more user-friendly than myLAB Box’s, which are fairly plain and clinical. The FoodMarble app uses color-coded results, as well. The use of color coding makes results feel more accessible and easier to understand.

The Best Food Sensitivity Test Everlywell Results

Something else we appreciate about Everlywell is the included additional resources, even for those who don’t have high reactivity. For instance, your food sensitivity report from Everlywell includes an analysis that gives you suggestions for the next steps and helps you create a trial elimination diet, which you can share with your doctor.

Additionally, all four of the Everlywell tests require a blood sample. The sensitivity and allergy tests use dried blood spots, while the celiac disease test uses a similar, yet unique, ADX collection card. Either way, you’ll be required to prick your finger with the included lancet(s) and let blood drip onto designated areas.

Foods tested for sensitivity

The basic Food Sensitivity Test evaluates foods in ten different categories, such as meat, dairy, grains, spices, and seafood.

Below, we’ve compiled the complete list of all 96 foods that are assessed in this test.

  • Almond
  • Apple
  • Asparagus
  • Avocado
  • Baker's yeast
  • Banana
  • Barley
  • Basil
  • Bay leaf
  • Beef
  • Bell pepper
  • Black pepper
  • Black tea
  • Black walnut
  • Blueberry
  • Bran
  • Brewer's yeast
  • Broccoli
  • Brown rice
  • Cabbage
  • Cantaloupe
  • Carrot
  • Cashew
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Chia seed
  • Chicken
  • Cinnamon
  • Clam
  • Cocoa
  • Coconut
  • Codfish
  • Coffee
  • Cola
  • Corn
  • Cottage cheese
  • Cow milk
  • Crab
  • Cucumber
  • Dill
  • Egg white
  • Egg yolk
  • Eggplant
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Gluten
  • Grape
  • Grapefruit
  • Green bean
  • Green olive
  • Green pea
  • Haddock
  • Honey
  • Kale
  • Kelp
  • Lamb
  • Lemon
  • Lettuce
  • Lima bean
  • Lobster
  • Malt
  • Mozzarella cheese
  • Mushroom
  • Mustard
  • Oats
  • Onion
  • Orange
  • Oregano
  • Peach
  • Peanut
  • Pear
  • Pineapple
  • Pork
  • Potato
  • Prawn
  • Rye
  • Safflower
  • Salmon
  • Scallop
  • Sesame
  • Sole
  • Soybean
  • Spinach
  • Squash
  • Strawberry
  • Sunflower
  • Sweet potato
  • Swordfish
  • Tarragon
  • Tomato
  • Tuna
  • Turkey
  • Watermelon
  • Wheat
  • Yogurt

The Food Sensitivity Comprehensive Test consists of all foods tested by the lower-priced basic test as well as an additional 108 foods, for a total of 204. If some of the foods below are a part of your usual diet, you might want to opt for the comprehensive test instead of the basic Food Sensitivity Test.

The following 108 foods are those that are exclusive to the comprehensive version of the test:

  • Aloe vera
  • Anchovy
  • Anise
  • Apricot
  • Artichoke
  • Arugula
  • Baking powder
  • Bamboo shoots
  • Beet
  • Black currant
  • Blackberry
  • Branzino
  • Brazil nut
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Buckwheat
  • Butter
  • Butter lettuce
  • Caper
  • Carob
  • Carp
  • Casein
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Chamomile
  • Chard
  • Cherry
  • Chestnut
  • Chickpea
  • Chicory
  • Chili pepper
  • Chive
  • Cilantro
  • Cloves
  • Cranberry
  • Crayfish
  • Cumin
  • Curry
  • Date
  • Duck
  • Eel
  • Emmental cheese
  • Fava bean
  • Fennel
  • Fig
  • Flaxseed
  • Goat cheese
  • Goat milk
  • Gooseberry
  • Grape leaf
  • Hazelnut
  • Herring
  • Honeydew melon
  • Hops
  • Horseradish
  • Jerusalem artichoke
  • Kefir
  • Key lime
  • Kidney bean
  • Kiwi
  • Leek
  • Lentil
  • Licorice root
  • Lychee
  • Macadamia
  • Mackerel
  • Mango
  • Marjoram
  • Millet
  • Mint
  • Mung bean
  • Navy bean
  • Nectarine
  • Nutmeg
  • Octopus
  • Pacific oyster
  • Papaya
  • Parsley
  • Peppermint
  • Perch
  • Pike
  • Pine nut
  • Pistachio
  • Plum
  • Pomegranate
  • Poppyseed
  • Prawn
  • Processed cheese
  • Quail
  • Radish
  • Raisin
  • Rapeseed
  • Raspberry
  • Red cabbage
  • Rosemary
  • Rosemary
  • Saffron
  • Sage
  • Shallot
  • Sheep cheese
  • Sheep milk
  • Shiitake mushroom
  • Snow pea
  • Spelt
  • Squid
  • Thyme
  • Trout
  • Turnip
  • Vanilla
  • Whey
  • Zucchini

Food allergy testing

The Best Food Sensitivity Test Everlywell Box

Photo by Innerbody Research

Everlywell's Food Allergy Test screens your blood sample to determine your body’s IgE reactivity to nine common food allergens. Those allergens include:

  • Almond
  • Cow’s milk
  • Egg white
  • Egg yolk
  • Peanut
  • Shrimp
  • Soy
  • Tuna
  • Wheat

If any of your results come back positive, an Everlywell-affiliated nurse will call you to discuss your results and help you determine the next steps you should take.

Additionally, Everlywell makes a point to mention that anyone who has had a severe reaction to any of the included allergens should not take the test, but should instead seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Celiac disease screening

There aren’t any foods involved in this Everlywell test kit, but your sample will be analyzed for the presence of three key antibodies commonly used to diagnose celiac disease. The antibodies include total IgA, tissue transglutaminase immunoglobulin (tTG-IgA), and deamidated gliadin peptide immunoglobulin G (DGP-IgG).

Insider Tip: Celiac-related antibodies may not show up if you've gone more than a few months without eating any gluten. We recommend speaking with your doctor about safely reintroducing gluten into your diet to get an accurate result.

Similar to the food allergy test, an Everlywell-affiliated provider licensed in your state will reach out to you to discuss the meaning of your results and how to share them with your doctor for further evaluation.

Our Everlywell testing experience

Our testers repeatedly report that they feel Everlywell’s tests are both convenient and easy to use. As with myLAB Box tests, you can take your Everlywell test from the comfort of your home, send in your sample, and wait for your report. Our testers appreciated how communicative Everlywell was after ordering the test — you receive multiple emails (and texts) keeping you up-to-date, including tracking info, further information about the test, a notification when your sample reaches the lab, and so on.

Best Food Sensitivity Test
Everlywell: Food Sensitivity Test

One of the first of its kind, this at-home test assesses IgG reactivity levels for nearly 100 different foods.

Everlywell is one of the largest and most respected at-home health and wellness testing companies. This test kit can provide a valuable starting point for discussion with your doctor about elimination diets.

Everlywell’s test kits ship discreetly with no noticeable indicators of the sender. Our testers felt that the box contents were well organized for ease of use, and the instructions for collecting the sample were simple to follow along with.

Once you’ve received your Everlywell test, there are a few steps you’ll have to follow:

  1. Inside the box, there’s a green registration card with a unique kit ID. At the top right of the Everlywell website, click “Register kit” and follow the instructions to properly register your kit — your sample can’t be linked to you if you don’t.
  2. After unpacking the kit, you can collect your sample following the directions on the included instruction pamphlet.
  3. Once collected and packed in the biohazard bag, place the bag back into the kit box, package the kit into the prepaid mailer, and send it off via USPS.
  4. You’ll receive a notification (email or text) when your sample arrives at the lab. Then, your results should be ready in the next few business days.
Tester Pricking Finger with Narrow Everlywell Lancet

Photo by Innerbody Research

To learn more about Everlywell’s tests and telehealth services, check out our full review.

FoodMarble

Best for IBS, SIBO, and FODMAP sensitivities, and fastest results

Pros

  • Hydrogen breath testing for diagnosing and monitoring GI issues has been used in clinical settings since the 1970s
  • FoodMarble device has been involved in multiple research studies (including an ongoing Johns Hopkins clinical trial)
  • App provides a thorough break down of FODMAPs in your meals
  • Can test for hydrogen (AIRE) or hydrogen and methane (AIRE 2)
  • App lets you track your meals, symptoms, bowel movements, sleep, stress, and menstrual cycles
  • Including device warm-up, results for each breath test are ready in about three minutes

Cons

  • FODMAP intolerance kit takes six weeks to complete
  • The app’s food library isn’t the most expansive, often requiring manual entry
  • Expensive if you only intend to use the device for the 6-week intolerance test

FoodMarble is an at-home hydrogen breath test used to track the levels of fermentation in your gut. Fermentation naturally happens during digestion, but high levels can indicate trouble properly breaking the food down. As your gut bacteria ferments the food, hydrogen is released into your bloodstream. And, eventually, that hydrogen reaches your lungs.

The Best Food Sensitivity Test Foodmarble Contents

Photo by Innerbody Research

Due to the resulting changes in breath hydrogen levels, this type of testing is particularly applicable to evaluating small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), carbohydrate malabsorption, lactose intolerance, IBS, and FODMAP sensitivities. However, most people — no matter their condition or lack thereof — should be able to find some benefit from tracking how foods affect their hydrogen production if they’re experiencing issues.

The Best Food Sensitivity Test Foodmarble Aire

Photo by Innerbody Research

At the time of writing this guide, FoodMarble offers two AIRE models and its food intolerance test focused on four common FODMAPs.

  • FoodMarble AIRE: Measures hydrogen only ($179).
  • FoodMarble AIRE 2: Measures hydrogen and methane ($249).
  • FoodMarble Food Intolerance Kit: Tests four FODMAPs — lactose, fructose, sorbitol, and inulin. A FoodMarble device is required ($49).

Most people should be fine with the basic AIRE model; the AIRE 2 would likely be beneficial for those who seem to produce higher levels of methane instead of hydrogen.

Our FoodMarble experience

Our testers found using the FoodMarble AIRE and app to be straightforward and informative. As soon as you start up the app and connect your AIRE device to your phone via Bluetooth, FoodMarble presents you with a very thorough tutorial that guides you through how to use every single feature of the app. It also helps you learn how to properly breathe into the AIRE device for your breath test (it notes that you “shouldn’t hear your breath coming out of your AIRE”).

The Best Food Sensitivity Test Foodmarble Testing

Combining the required “warm-up” time of your device with the time it takes to take the test and receive your results, the process only takes about three minutes in total. Your results are fairly simple — you’ll see a number and a brief explanation of what your result means on a color-coded background. Red means high fermentation (high hydrogen), orange is medium, and green is low. This kind of color-coding is similar to Everlywell’s, and it makes understanding your results much easier.

The Best Food Sensitivity Test Foodmarble Testing Fodmaps

Photo by Innerbody Research

The FODMAP intolerance testing kit definitely takes some patience and commitment to complete. The duration of the test is six weeks: one for determining your baseline, one low-FODMAP reset week, and one week per FODMAP test (four total).

When it comes time to test one of the included FODMAPs (lactose, fructose, sorbitol, or inulin), there are a few steps to follow:

  • The evening before, have a low FODMAP meal. The app includes a nice variety of recipes if you’re not sure what to have.
  • When you wake up the next morning, you’ll need to maintain your overnight fasting.
  • Brush your teeth (but avoid mouthwash — alcohol can affect test results).
  • Go into the FoodMarble app and select the test you’ll be taking under the “Discovery” tab. Then, mix the corresponding packet with 200mL (7fl oz) of hot water.
  • As the powder is dissolving, complete a regular baseline breath test.
  • After that, drink the mixture (which our testers reported having no discernible taste) and record several breath tests over the course of the following three hours. The app will send you reminders.
  • Finally, at the end of the test, the app will explain how your readings changed as the FODMAP was digested. If you notice a spike in hydrogen (fermentation) then your body had difficulty digesting the FODMAP, and you might have a sensitivity or intolerance.

Besides testing, we appreciated FoodMarble’s approach to FODMAP awareness. All meals and ingredients have detailed breakdowns of their FODMAP content, including explanations of what each one is. You can also search ingredients and filter them by what FODMAPs they’re high or low in.

The Best Food Sensitivity Test Foodmarble Fodmap Info

myLAB Box

Best budget pick

Pros

  • Can be used by anyone 14 and older
  • Simple finger-prick sample collection process
  • Least expensive option of our top picks
  • Take 20% off your test with code: INNERBODY20

Cons

  • Presentation of results doesn’t match product page explanation
  • Results expire after 60 days
  • Test is unavailable in New York
  • Turnaround times can vary widely

myLAB Box provides a wide array of at-home testing kits, from hormones and general health to STDs and nutrition testing, there are a lot of options — the last of which includes a Food Sensitivity Test ($119.20 with promo code). myLAB Box’s sensitivity test evaluates the same number of foods (96) as Everlywell’s basic food sensitivity test, and it also uses the same sample collection method, dried blood spots, making both tests equally easy to complete.

There are, however, a few notable differences between the two tests. First, myLAB Box’s test costs $50 less (and that can become $80 less when you add on our 20% off code, INNERBODY20). Second, myLAB Box’s turnaround time can be difficult to predict, unlike Everlywell’s. In the past, our testers consistently received prompt results from myLAB Box. But, recently, we’ve had a mixed bag; some testers had a quick turnaround, while others had long waits — one tester’s results took 12 days.

MyLab Box Food Sensitivity featured test

Photo by Innerbody Research

The final difference comes down to the presentation of test results. A couple of our testers who used myLAB Box’s food sensitivity test found their results a bit confusing. The test results page listed an “Alert” next to reactive foods, while the test’s product page shows sample results with a score of 0-4 next to each food. There is no further information on the results page or on myLAB Box’s site about what an “Alert” indicates.

In addition, myLAB Box does not provide much information on its website about the product. Both Everlywell and FoodMarble provide a wealth of information about their testing methods, including comprehensive FAQs and detailed product descriptions. Having these resources gives customers the ability to make more informed purchasing decisions.

To learn more about myLAB Box and its wide range of tests, we delve into much further detail in our full review of the service.

Other food sensitivity testing alternatives

In addition to Everlywell, FoodMarble, and myLAB Box, many other tests on the market offer testing for food sensitivities, allergies, and intolerances. These tests employ a variety of testing methods — some at home and some in-lab. But, how do they compare to our top picks? Below, we break down a few of these competitors.

Personalabs

Personalabs is a direct-to-customer lab order provider that offers a multitude of food allergy testing options. Unlike Everlywell and myLAB Box, however, you’ll need to visit a lab (either Labcorp or Quest) to have your blood sample drawn.

Personalabs’ tests check for food allergies with two different panels — one that tests some basic, common allergens and another that tests a more robust list of foods. Also, it’s worth noting that the cost of each test depends on the lab you choose.

The Food Allergen Profile - Basic ($159 Quest; $144 Labcorp) gauges your body’s reaction to the six most common food allergens:

  • Codfish
  • Cow’s milk
  • Egg whites
  • Peanut
  • Soybean
  • Wheat

The more comprehensive Allergen Profile Food Blood Test ($338 Quest; $752 Labcorp) checks for the same foods as the basic test but adds nine more:

  • Almond
  • Cashew
  • Hazelnut
  • Salmon
  • Scallop
  • Sesame seed
  • Shrimp
  • Tuna
  • Walnut

In general, the basic test is a good starting point for more people, but you might choose to opt for the more comprehensive test if you suspect an allergy to the foods on the above list.

Personalabs also offers allergy tests just for one particular type of food per test. These tests are great if you already have an idea about which specific foods you are most likely allergic to. In most cases, these smaller tests cost less than testing for multiple foods at once. For example, the Berry Blood Test costs $99 from Quest or $76 from Labcorp.

YorkTest

YorkTest is a UK-based company that specializes in food sensitivity and food allergy testing. Its Premium Food Sensitivity Test ($174) measures your IgG reactivity to 200 foods and drinks. And its Food Allergy Test ($134) analyzes your IgE reactivity to 23 foods and 18 other common allergies.

While these tests may seem like a great deal compared to our top picks, we feel it’s important to note that YorkTest doesn’t appear to have any laboratory certifications besides ISO 13485, which is about the quality of medical devices — not laboratory testing or results quality.

If you look at another testing company with roots in Europe, LetsGetChecked, you’ll find that it has ISO 15189 certification, which focuses on quality and competence in medical laboratories.

This isn’t to say that YorkTest’s testing can’t be accurate, but we’d recommend proceeding with caution. It strikes us as a bit odd that a testing-focused company that’s been around for 40 years doesn’t have a laboratory testing certification.

That being said, we did conduct hands-on testing with YorkTest’s Premium Food Sensitivity Test. The sample collection with YorkTest is actually extremely easy; you prick your finger and absorb your blood with the included styrofoam-esque wand until it’s adequately soaked (reaching a designated indent line).

The Best Food Sensitivity Test Yorktest Sample Collection

Photo by Innerbody Research

The results also arrived fairly quickly — they only took about five days after the sample was shipped off. And, similar to Everlywell, the results are color-coded based on the IgG reaction detected.

The Best Food Sensitivity Test Yorktest Results

Check My Body Health

Check My Body Health is a testing company that relies on Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAMs) to determine your results. In particular, it uses “Bioresonance” hair testing, which the company describes as being “confirmed” by the latest discoveries in quantum mechanics and biophysics.

However, it’s very important to note that this has not been confirmed, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center even states that “no evidence supports” the claims made by Bioresonance proponents.

We tried one of the company’s tests — the Complete Sensitivity Health Test ($38). You don’t receive a test kit from Check My Body Health, but instead, instructions and a label in your email inbox to affix to a plastic bag with a few strands of your hair. Unlike other at-home test companies, like Everlywell and myLAB Box, you’ll have to pay outgoing shipping for your Check My Body Health sample.

The Best Food Sensitivity Test Check My Body Health Instructions

Photo by Innerbody Research

The results you receive (within 2-3 days) are huge. You receive a 67-page PDF of everything your hair has been tested against. There are results for multiple foods, vitamins, plants, minerals, additives, and even suggestions for improving your gut health. In total, this test checks 970 items.

The Best Food Sensitivity Test Check My Body Health Results

Photo by Innerbody Research

Frequently asked questions about food sensitivity testing

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Innerbody 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.

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