Choosing the best DNA test for diet can be tricky. There are many companies out there that claim to help you find the best strategies when it comes to your diet, but are they legit? We’ve reviewed over 100 DNA companies and selected five that can help if you want to try a gene-based approach to your diet. Read on to find out more about DNA tests for diet and what each company has to offer you.
How are DNA & diet connected?
First things first: what can a DNA test for diet tell you?
Your genes can influence many things about you. Your eye and hair color, height, and other physical characteristics are affected by your DNA. Diet and weight are some of the things that also have to do with your genes.
When it comes to weight, there are more than 100 different genes that may influence it, but none are better studied than the FTO gene. The FTO gene was the first gene linked to weight gain and is widely believed to have the largest effect.
But it doesn’t stop there. This gene has also been linked to:
- Eating more
- Eating higher calorie foods
- Food cravings
- Emotional and binge eating
This means that depending on which variant you carry, you may have a harder time maintaining a healthy diet.
But isn’t DNA set in stone?
You aren’t doomed just because of your DNA. Diets can be modified in ways that are better suited for what your body truly needs.
When you know more about your DNA, diet is something that you can change to make sure you’re eating the right foods. For example, people who carry some variants of the FTO gene may benefit from eating high protein and high fiber diets.
The point is, understanding your genetic risks can actually give you an advantage when it comes to optimizing your health. By knowing which variants you carry, you can make targeted changes to your lifestyle to counteract the negative effects of your genes.
Whether you’re looking for a diet to help you control your weight or you just want to find out which foods are best for you to optimize your health, a DNA test can help you learn how to eat for your genes.
Do DNA diets work?
You may have heard before that a diet based on DNA doesn’t work, and that may be true for some DNA tests you find out there. Many DNA diet tests only look at a few genetic variants to give generic recommendations on what you should eat.
The truth is that many aspects of your diet can be affected by your DNA. Nutrition is a great example of this. Your genes can influence how well you process important vitamins and nutrients, like iron. But it doesn’t stop there – genetics can also play a role in things like meal timing and fat and sugar metabolism.
The information hidden in your DNA can help you find out what strategies work best for you when coming up with a diet plan.
The problem is when a DNA test only looks at a limited number of genes and genetic variants, or use outdated methods to analyze your genes. This could mean the health insights you’re getting are not really accurate. But this is not true for all companies. Some companies carefully analyze millions of data points to give you precise information about your diet and weight.
So, how do you choose the best DNA test for diet?
What to look for in a DNA test for diet
When looking for a DNA test for diet, it’s important to keep some things in mind. Let’s go through some key points to look out for before making a purchase.
Number of genetic variants analyzed
We’ve mentioned before that there are many companies out there that only analyze a few genetic variants in order to make their recommendations. This is important, because it could mean that you’re not get the full picture of what your body truly needs. Keep an eye out for the number of variants analyzed per report to make sure that what you’re receiving is accurate information.
Personalized recommendations
So, you found out your genes make it more likely that you choose higher calorie foods. Now what?
Just understading your genetic predispositions might not help you tackle the problem. Many DNA companies don’t really tell you what you can do to address your issues. At most, their recommedations are generic and not personalized to your genes.
But since DNA can actually influence how well your respond to certain diets and supplements, you could be missing out on some helpful insights. Be on the lookout for a company that actually takes into consideration your genes to tell you what you can do to optimize your diet.
Science-backed reports
Surprisingly, some DNA testing companies also don’t have many scientists on their team. If you want the most scientifically valid information to help you build a DNA-based diet plan, look for companies that employ top experts in the field of genetics.
This isn’t something you’d want to compromise on, especially when it comes to your health and wellness.
Privacy & data security
Another important thing to consider is how the company handles your data. There are many accounts where big DNA companies partnered with pharmaceutical companies to give access to customers’ genetic data. If privacy is a priority, make sure that the company you’re choosing doesn’t have any history of selling your data.
You want to look for a genetic company that uses top-notch data protection protocols and keeps up with modern security standards. There are reputable companies that make a commitment to protect your data.
Best DNA test for diet
Now that you know what to look for when choosing a diet DNA test, let’s explore what some companies have to offer. Here we’ll present a list of 5 companies that have a DNA test for diet so you can learn more about what each one and make an informed decision.
SelfDecode
The SelfDecode Weight DNA Wellness Report analyzes over 455,000 genetic variants related to diet and weight and gives prioritized and personalized recommendations based on your genes. SelfDecode is the only direct-to-consumer DNA company that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze up to 83 million genetic variants from a typical DNA test to provide you with truly personalized health.
To back the health reports, SelfDecode has a team of over 60 highly skilled scientists, MDs, PhDs, NDs, and software engineers working to make sure the information provided is the most accurate and up to date with the latest scientific research.
If you want to receive a full picture of your health, SelfDecode also offers reports that cover other aspects of your health. When signing up, you’ll gain access to over 45 reports, including Cholesterol, Stress, Thyroid Health, and many others. This way, you can make sure you can address different issues related to your health.
Each report from SelfDecode looks at an average of 1 million variants to calculate your genetic risk scores and give your recommendations, which is thousands of times more than other competitors do. It also means that your genetic health risks and recommendations are more accurate than with any other company.
By signing up, you’ll also gain access to SelfDecode Labs. Just upload your previous lab test results or purchase tests from SelfDecode to learn if your labs are optimal and receive tailored insights on how to improve them.
An annual membership from SelfDecode is $97/year. For lifetime access, it’s a one-time fee of $297 for access to all current and future reports.
You can either upload your raw DNA data, or choose to get a DNA test from SelfDecode.
GenoPalate
Genopalate analyzes over 100 genetic markers that influence how your body metabolizes different nutrients. Then, they give you a list of 100+ foods that may be more beneficial to you based on your genetic results.
Unfortunately, many of the recommendations given by GenoPalate are extremely vague and generic. Also, keep in mind that if you choose to get your DNA tested with this company, you won’t be able to have access to your raw DNA data.
To upload a raw DNA file to Genopalate, it will cost you $40. If you have not had your DNA tested, a kit from this company is $150, which will give you access to your report as well.
Read more about this company in this comprehensive GenoPalate review.
DNAfit
DNAfit was originally based in the UK and has been around since 2013, founded by Avi Lasarow. They’ve recently been bought by the Prenetics group, a genetic health company based in Hong Kong, China.
The company only analyzes 45 genetic variants associated with diet and fitness to generate their reports. Similar to GenoPalate, you won’t have access to your DNA data if you choose to get a genetic test from DNAfit.
DNAfit offers two options for DNA tests for diet, which cost from $130 to $175.
Read more about this company in this DNAfit review.
Gene Food
Gene Food will give your diet recommendations based on an analysis of 66 SNPs. They tell you which diet type is best for you based on your genes from a list of 20 diets, such as keto, vegetarian, and others.
You can upload your DNA data to Gene Food for $60 to get access to your report, or get a DNA test from them for $195.
Read more about this company in this Gene Food review.
Vitagene
Vitagene’s health reports include topics related to supplements, diet, fitness, and skin conditions, but they won’t offer you any information beyond this limited scope. Their main offering is their supplements, which they claim are personalized to your genetic profile.
If privacy is a main concern for you, keep in mind that in 2019, it was reported that Vitagene’s user data had been compromised by the company leaving thousands of client health reports exposed online for years. Since then, the company claims to have shut down external access to these records.
DNA tests from this company range from $99 to $249. Read more about this company in this Vitagene review.
DNA diet test reviews
Looking at DNA diet test reviews is a good way to find out whether a product will deliver what it promises.
SelfDecode boasts 4.8 of 5 stars on Trustpilot, based on 253 reviews. Customers praise the company for their personalized approach to health. One reviewer says that SelfDecode provides a completely different level of information compared to other DNA companies.
GenoPalate received 3.7 of 5 stars on Trustpilod, based on 279 reviews. When it comes to online reviews, customers say that the results they received were very generic and even inaccurate. Many reviews also complain about their customer service.
DNAfit customers, on the other hand, say there are too many paid addons. The company earned 4.2 of 5 stars on Trustpilot. One customer complains that the recommendations provided by the company didn’t help them achieve their health goals. Another review says that the results didn’t give them “any groundbreaking information”.
At first glance, it looks like Gene Food has a good rating from customers, but some more recent reviews appear to be from people who mistook the company for a food-selling place.
Vitagene online reviews are not the most positive. The company is rated 2.8 of 5 stars, based on 288 reviews. One customer points out that the concept of the service is good, but it falls short on execution and subsequent customer service. They claim that the insights they received were very general and vague.
Takeaway: What is the best DNA test for diet?
When choosing the best DNA test for diet, there are a lot of things to consider. Depending on which company you choose, your DNA diet test can give you incomplete results and generic recommendations that are not based on all relevant genetic variants.
The information hidden in your genes may help you figure out the best diet based on DNA. So, choosing the right company that will give you the most comprehensive results can help you truly optimize your diet and overall health. Your genes can influence how well you respond to DNA-based diet plans, so health recommendations based on your genes can give you an advantage.
For a truly personalized approach, you should check out SelfDecode. SelfDecode uses AI and machine learning to accurately predict and analyze up to 83 million genetic variants from a typical DNA test. In the Weight Report alone, SelfDecode analyzes over 455,000 variants related to diet and weight and gives you a list of prioritized and personalized recommendations to help you achieve your health goals.
