Best personalised nutrition tests 2024, tried and tested

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Best personalised nutrition tests at a glance

• Best for helping you eat healthily – Zoe £299.99 for testing, £24.99 per month for membership
• Best for food and fitness – Bio Synergy £149 for test kit and app
• Best for blood sugar – Levels UK waitlist-only £129 for a 28-day supply of monitors
• Best for vitamins – DNApal £199.99 for the kit, analysis and plan
• Best for gut health – Myota £219 for test kit
• Best all-round test – Vitl £139 for the test kit and insights

Best personalised nutrition tests 2024

Zoe

• Available from Zoe, (£299.99 for testing. Memberships from £24.99 per month for a 12-month membership, plus the original test fee)

Best for helping you eat healthily

Rating: 4.5/5

What does it aim to do?

• Check your gut health and how your body metabolises sugars and fats
• Give foods a personalised score so you can see how your body handles them
• Educate you in how to eat to improve your overall health

Pros

• No foods are off limits
• Well designed app that hosts a huge amount of information
• You can read as much or as little as you want of the lessons and quizzes

Cons

• The test day requires you to be able to focus on strict timings and rules
• Logging meals is time-consuming, and the automated options aren’t always accurate
• Expensive

What does it involve? A test day (eating a specific ‘control’ meal of either muffins or cookies and avoiding other food until dinner) and taking a blood and stool sample. Wearing a blood glucose monitor for two weeks and recording the food and drink you eat.

Results take around four weeks, and include a top-level analysis of your gut health and how well your body metabolises sugars and fats. You are also given individual scores for a range of foods, based on how well the data suggests your body will process them. This information is uploaded into a well designed app, and buying a membership allows you to ‘score’ any meals you eat or any recipes you’re considering cooking. There are daily ‘lessons’ to read to help you plan more healthy meals. Our testers found entering individual ingredients rather laborious, and had some concerns over the accuracy of the time-saving AI or online recipe uploaders, but agreed the barcode reader was useful.

At the end of each day you’re given an overall score for how well you ate, with a weekly round-up of how well you’re doing in terms of variety (for gut health) and macronutrients (for example, if you’ve eaten enough protein).

Is it worth it? Our testers found the guidance and scoring provided as part of their membership more useful than the results from the testing kit, however this comes at an additional cost. While they were interested to see their individual response to carbs and fats, it was the recipe aggregate scores and daily lessons that were most helpful. ‘Foods that I expected to be good for me, like fruit and vegetables, scored well; while foods most people would understand to be unhealthy, like biscuits or alcohol, scored badly. This wasn’t helpful in itself, but the advice on how to combine foods – and improve overall scores – was eye-opening,’ explained our tester.

‘Nothing is completely off limits – this is refreshing, and in my case I suspect that this is what works to make me stick to the plan.’

You can read a full report from our Zoe testers here.

Bio Synergy DNA Testing Kit

• Available from Bio Synergy (£149 one-time cost for the test kit and app)

Best for food and fitness

Rating: 4/5

What does it aim to do?

• Get clarity on your body’s unique diet, exercise and lifestyle preferences
• Overcome health and fitness obstacles that lie in your DNA
• Improve sleep quality and reduce fatigue
• Push past training plateaus in the gym

Pros

• App is simple and easy to use
• Detailed results including mental health analysis
• Information is yours for life, so you could keep coming back to it over time
• Workout plans are good for giving guidance; each exercise comes with a video demonstration

Cons

• Meal guides are restrictive. Testers weren't excited by the recipes and felt some had expensive or hard-to-find ingredients.
• Testers weren't convinced by sleep and mental health analysis
• Workout plans aren't beginner-friendly. For example, one started with a barbell squat rather than goblet squat or using bodyweight

What does it involve? Bio Synergy aims to provide personalised diet, exercise and lifestyle advice based on your DNA. You're required to send off a saliva sample using the pre-paid envelope. Clear instructions on how to do this are provided with the kit and the results came back in three weeks.

These were split into two categories: DNA and health insights. DNA includes your body's response to carbohydrates, metabolic rate, sugar response, caffeine sensitivity, obesity risk, type 2 diabetes risk, muscle power and vitamin deficiencies. Health insights include eye health, gut health and gluten intolerance, immune function, heart health and risk of high blood pressure, memory and attention span, muscle health and skin health.

Under each point, there's a short explanation. For example, it provides a sugar response status for your body with an overview of carbs and sugars and how they work. With your result, you're given recommendations and web references to full papers and scientific information.

Is it worth it? Our tester felt they had a better understanding of how meals are made up in terms of fats, protein and carbs. Interestingly, they reduced their carb and sugar intake as it was suggested they have a high response to sugar and focused on eating more protein or fat-rich foods. As a result, they experienced fewer dips in energy throughout the day. They also felt it was helpful to know how their body might react to external factors like certain foods, vitamins, sleep etc.

Going forward, testers aim to be more mindful of their food choices and how they can affect the body, now and in the future. However, they won't be making any drastic changes to diet or exercise.

"I learned that we are all different, something that works for one person won’t necessarily work for all. This app does a good job of telling you that."

Available from:
Bio Synergy (£149)

Levels

• Available from Levels (UK currently waitlist-only – £129 for a 28-day supply of glucose monitors and analysis; annual membership costs £205)

Best for blood sugar

Rating: 4/5

Only available in the US; if you're in the UK and would like to give Levels a go, you can sign up to the waitlist.

What does it aim to do?

• Show how food affects your health by tracking your blood sugar levels using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM)
• Gain insight into your cardiovascular health, metabolic health and insulin resistance
• Get personalised, actionable advice on what your results mean and how to improve them
• Make lasting lifestyle changes to improve your health and fitness

Pros

• The app is simple to use, and data is presented clearly, with lots of information on what your Levels score means
• Regular notifications with hints and tips
• Easy to log workouts
• Food recommendations are interesting and helpful; they were easy to put into practice as they didn't involve a new diet
• Seeing your blood sugar levels change in real time was a fascinating, new experience

Cons

• Both apps were slow to sync up with the monitor
• In the first week, there is limited data for the app to assess – it requires a bit of patience to start logging your meals and activity
• Blood sugar readings are in US measurements, as were some of the recommendations, for example 'buy this healthy food from Walmart'
• Taking pictures of every meal and uploading to the app is time-consuming
• Overwhelming amount of health resources to read but no personalised advice, except for your Levels score

What does it involve? The first step is scanning a QR code to set up two apps. One is Levels and the other is a blood sugar tracker called LibreLink. Next, you stick a CGM onto your arm. This is really easy to do and comes with clear instructions – however, if you're scared of needles this might not be for you. The monitor sends information to LibreLink, which then feeds into Levels.

All you need to do is track your regular meals using the app and see how they affect your blood sugar levels. There is a bit of testing at first, where you're required to eat a range of foods to see how they affect you and make sure the tracker is working.

Every time you eat, Levels brings up live data showing how stable your blood sugars are and, at the end of each day, you get a score out of 100. The higher your score, the better you have managed your levels.

Is it worth it? There's no denying that being able to see exactly how your body reacts to food, just minutes after you've finished eating, is fascinating stuff. Our testers found that by the end of the month, they had a much clearer insight into what food caused them spikes and what made them feel their best, most energised selves. There were some surprising lessons along the way: one tester was shocked to discover how much alcohol, specifically a few pints, makes your blood sugar spike; another was interested to see a low-sugar protein bar causing a drop.

They described a high that comes with getting a good Levels score at the end of the day – inspiring them to make conscious decisions about food. One found the more they tried to hit their highest overall score, the better they felt. All testers noticed improved and more consistent energy levels.

Following the time using Levels, testers made small but notable changes to their diet, like swapping from refined carbs to wholewheat. However, some felt that Levels wasn't helpful for general improvement of health and fitness, as it's so focused on blood sugar.

"I've gained a better understanding of what affects my blood sugar levels so I can avoid big spikes and dips that make me feel lethargic. I now have less of these and I'm more in tune with how I feel."

Available from:
Levels (UK waitlist only)

DNApal DNA kit

• Available from DNApal (£199.99 one-time cost for the test kit, analysis and personalised plan)

Best for vitamins

Rating: 3.5/5

What does it aim to do?

• Use your DNA to provide nutrition and lifestyle advice tailored to you
• Give advice on what you need to get and stay healthy
• Provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to take control of your health

Pros

• App is easy to use and provides further context to your unique report
• No excessive health claims, the report makes it clear that ‘your genes are not your destiny’
• Lots of information about vitamins and how your body uses them
• Results are extremely detailed and provide a thorough insight into your genotype
• Healthy recipes are tailored to your dietary needs; there are suggestions for including supplements
• Option to book 1:1 consultation via the app to chat through results and get personalised advice. They will also build a basket of supplements suited to you.

Cons

• Quite jargon-heavy. Hard to work out what you need to be doing more or less of – the consultation is needed to make everything clear
• Some 'personalised' advice feels generic, such as ‘aim for at least 5-8 portions of fruit and veg per day’. This doesn’t feel like new or insightful information
• Lots of information that feels overwhelming if you’re not familiar with the science behind it. Testers felt a one-page summary would be helpful
• Slightly conflicting advice. The report recommended a low-FODMAP diet, but also suggested eating more foods which wouldn't fit within this diet

What does it involve? A simple cheek swab collects a saliva sample, which you send to the lab in a pre-paid envelope. Results come back in 5-6 weeks; they are delivered via email or can be viewed on the app. They come in the form of a detailed 23-page report which provides bespoke diet and lifestyle advice.

The report starts by explaining what DNA is and how lifestyle and environment can also impact your results. It's divided into the following categories: digestion, metabolism, stress, immunity, nutrients, stimulants, exercise and sleep. Every category is marked with a traffic light system, showing green for a positive variant, amber for mildly negative and red for a negative impact. There are also useful takeaways such as ‘consider supplementing vitamin A’ or ‘vitamin B6, zinc and magnesium may help boost melatonin’.

A separate guide provides more information and advice on how to target deficiencies, as well as lifestyle changes you could make to improve your health. Further to this, a 1:1 consultation is available with one of the DNApal expert nutritional therapists, who can talk through your report and provide further insights.

Is it worth it? Testers felt DNApal had a noticeable impact on their overall health, both in the short and long term. Knowing what you're genetically predisposed to – whether it's an intolerance to gluten, vitamin D deficiency or being more prone to injury from vigorous exercise – allows you to make a conscious effort to combat this, either through changes to diet or taking extra vitamins and supplements. Testers felt more in control of their own health after reading the results.

Some testers noticed immediate improvements to their wellbeing while others simply felt motivated to make changes to their diet and lifestyle. One experienced better sleep after cutting back on caffeine after midday, as recommended. Other testers felt more generally informed about their health and were reassured to know certain things about themselves. For example, two testers learned they were well adapted to deal with stress.

However, all testers felt the information to be quite complicated. The 1:1 consultation is really needed, so that you can fully understand your results. If you are going to invest in DNApal, it would be best to go for the package which includes this. They also felt some points were generic and they were sceptical about how much DNA has influence over certain day-to-day things. It seems environmental factors are just as important.

"As a keen runner, finding out that I'm genetically predisposed to injuries and have low receptivity to vitamin D, therefore risking low bone density, has been interesting. Getting practical tips from the team has been invaluable. These included taking a vitamin D supplement and eating more fatty fish to support my bone health, as well as doing more strength training to reduce injury risk."

Available from:
DNApal (£199.99)

Myota Microbiome Test Kit

• Available from Myota (£219 for test kit, the optional but recommended gut health supplements cost extra)

Best for gut health

Rating: 3.5/5

What does it aim to do?

• Help you discover what’s going on in your gut, so you can optimise your health and longevity
• Highlight which types of gut bacteria you have, what role they play and how this compares to the general population
• Shows how efficient your gut microbiome is
• Give recommendations for fibre-rich foods you should add to your diet, based on your gut bacteria

Pros

• Results are well laid out with imagery and graphics
• Handy gut-health tips included, such as “Remember, we need a diversity of different fibre-rich foods to fuel our gut, so even if a food has three ticks, aim to have a selection of these foods on a weekly basis”
• Testers found the 1:1 very insightful

Cons

• Some results took a long time to come back
• Lots of scientific language which testers needed to read a few times to understand
• Lack of aftercare and advice post-results. There is a gut health checklist at the back of the report but the information is vague and obvious, e.g. 'drink plenty of water'

What does it involve? Once you've registered your kit, a stool sample must be collected within 24hrs and posted using the pre-paid box provided. The lab will confirm once your sample has been delivered. Generally, this part of the process was straightforward and everything was well explained. Results took 6-8 weeks to come back, which was a little longer than our testers were initially told.

Test results arrived in an email; you're also given the opportunity to book a 30-minute video consultation with Dr Caitlin Hall, a gut health dietician, to talk results through. The results start with a helpful introduction to what the gut microbiome is and how Myota measures gut health. From there, it gives a snapshot of your gut, with a diversity score and gut efficiency score.

Results are broken up into categories, including the most abundant bacteria and your gut microbiome type. There are foods to include in your diet, with a score based on your ability to digest them. Finally, there's a list of recommendations like ‘drink plenty of water’ and ‘get a good night’s sleep’.

You are also suggested a Myota blend with a 10% off code – such as the 'Gut Booster', which aims to restore gut balance.

Is it worth it? If you're looking to find out more about gut health, the Myota test could be a good place to start. It's a more personal way to understand what the microbiome is and to get to know your gut.

On the whole, testers felt there was a lot of scientific information to take in and found this overwhelming at times. This did become clearer after the 1:1 call, so do book this in if you go ahead with this test. Despite the personalised gut insights, testers found the advice to be more general, e.g. see sunlight daily, and they didn't come away with concrete ideas about how to improve their gut health.

The most profound change for all testers were changes to diet following the food suggestions. In one case, this meant switching from no breakfast to having porridge every morning, after being advised to eat more oats. As a result, they felt less hungry throughout the day and wanted to snack less. Another tester took on advice to eat 30 plant foods a week, this improved their energy levels and overall feeling of health.

How helpful you find Myota definitely depends on the results you get. One tester with IBS, who was hoping to find out more about how to improve their symptoms, was told they had an incredibly diverse microbiome and the only suggestion was to keep eating a varied diet. This didn't exactly feel like value for money and they were slightly disappointed not to have more concrete advice.

"It is still helpful to have the general list of foods that I can refer to. I've tried to increase my intake of these – which in turn has meant I’ve experienced fewer IBS symptoms."

Available from:
Myota (£219)

Vitl DNA Nutrition Test

• Available from Vitl (£139 for the test kit and insights, recommended monthly vitamin packs come at an extra cost)

Best all-round test

Rating: 3.5/5

What does it aim to do?

• Uses your DNA to reveal your body’s diet, exercise and lifestyle preferences
• Highlights how different traits in your DNA affect each area of your health
• Makes recommendations to help you make the best choices for your body

Pros:

• Test was easy to do at home
• Results came quickly
• Useful for finding out what you're genetically predisposed to
• Suggested vitamins based on your answers and health goals

Cons:

• DNA report is quite confusing
• Lots of information to take in – it could be presented in a more visual way
• Results feel vague and health advice is more general, rather than personalised
• At times it seems like the results are used to encourage you to sign up to monthly vitamins

What does it involve? Taking the DNA sample is easy, involving a simple saliva swab which is then sent off in a pre-paid package. You'll get a confirmation email as soon as the lab gets your sample. Results come in three weeks – an email prompts you to log in and check out the portal. Once in the My Vitl portal, there's a summary of traits which have been tested for, including skin, digestion, energy levels, immunity, stress, hair, sleep, sugar consumption, vitamins, minerals and nutrients. These are broken down into typical and impactful – testers felt it would have been helpful for there to be an explanation of what these mean.

Once you click into each trait, there is information explaining why they have tested this. For example, under energy it mentions that if you're feeling tired all the time it may be down to a lack of vitamins. Overall, more than 40 traits are tested for and each of these is scored on a scale of less likely to highly likely. You can dive further into each result, even seeing which exact gene has influenced the results.

The aim is to show you what you're genetically predisposed to, so that you can make changes to your diet and lifestyle accordingly. Within your portal, there are also recommendations for vitamins which you can buy to help you reach your health goals.

Is it worth it? There are definitely benefits to knowing what may or may not be affecting your health and wellbeing. To anyone who wants to feel their absolute best – sleeping well, staying focused, not getting colds, no digestive issues, good skin – doing a DNA test could be a good way to highlight any areas to work on. However, Vitl can't give you concrete answers and your results only give you an indication. This isn't a replacement for seeing a medical professional.

Testers found it interesting to be able to dig deeper into each trait – knowing exactly which genes give you a sweet tooth or help your body absorb vitamin D takes things to another level – but they also found the vast amount of information overwhelming. There are pages and pages to click through to understand your results, and the journey to do this isn't super-clear. Testers felt the portal could do with some work.

Some testers found the upselling of vitamins slightly frustrating; when you've already spent the money on the test you may not want to spend more on personalised vitamins. Other testers found the vitamin suggestions helpful but once they started taking them, they experience unwanted side effects, like breakouts. These stopped as soon as they stopped taking them, on the advice of a Vitl expert.

In the short and long term, testers noted that the results didn't have a huge impact on their health, although they did find it useful to know what to look out for in the future.

"I've always known I suffer from acid reflux but have never been to see a doctor about it. So to have that confirmed by my results, which came back as highly likely, was really helpful."

Available from:
Vitl (£139)

How we tested personalised nutrition kits

In order to get a fair picture, we had each product tested by three people and made sure those people were of different ages, genders, fitness levels and with a range of health concerns. We gathered this information from our pool of testers and allocated kits accordingly so that our testers trialled products they likely would have picked themselves. If, for example, someone was interested in fitness we made sure their product had a fitness focus.

Each tester completed a detailed survey at four different stages; on completing their test kit, on receiving the results, one month after results and three months after. This allowed us to see not only how they found carrying out the test at home but also if the results made a lasting impression. We then analysed the results and asked testers to rate the products out of five.

Scores out of five against the following criteria determined the overall star rating:

• Ease of use: did testers find it simple to complete the test at home and set up any online account or app?
• Clear results: did testers find it easy to understand their results, plus had extra steps been taken to make the results more engaging?
• Genuinely helpful: did testers feel they learned something about their health which made a genuine impact, and did it encourage them to make any changes to their diet and lifestyle?
• Cost: did testers feel it was value for money?

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