DNA tests are so popular right now, even Lizzo is talking about them. For those of you who are curious about what doing a DNA test is actually like, look no further. I’m about to tell you what the process is like and what you can actually learn from 23andMe.
The first choice you have to make is deciding between ordering the ancestry or health and ancestry package. I chose the health package just because you get more information about yourself. Once you actually order the package, they send you a box with detailed instructions about how to spit into the tube they provide. Since the box is already pre-addressed all you have to do is put it in the mailbox afterwards, then they email you the results when they’re ready. During the waiting process you can see exactly what stage of DNA analyzation they are at. It is just like waiting for a Domino’s pizza online. I loved how easy the entire process was, and I think it was totally worth it.
Ancestry Results
Obviously, ancestry is an important part of a DNA test. My results matched my verbal ancestral history that I have been told throughout my life, leading me to believe that they are pretty accurate. My results were:
British and Irish: 57%
Broadly Northwestern European: 17.5%
Finnish: 12%
French and German: 8.5%
Scandinavian: 2%
Ashkenazi Jewish: 1.6%
You can actually click on a country and it will tell you the specific region your DNA traces back to in that country. Most of my ancestors were from London and Glasgow. I loved the level of detail that you get with the ancestry results. I was expecting to receive information on a specific region of the world, but they managed to narrow it down to specific cities. You can also see how long ago your ancestors were in each country or region.
DNA Relatives
23andMe will show you how many DNA relatives you have, and how closely related you are to each other. It turns out I have 1225 Relatives who share DNA with me globally. This includes relatives as close as second to third cousins. My brother did the DNA test as well and we requested to share results so you can compare them directly. We pretty much received the same health and ancestral outcome despite sharing 50% of our DNA. I was shocked when I saw how many people I was actually related to.
Health Communities
Based on your age and sex, 23andMe predicts the health issues that you are most likely to have. I know, it sounds super depressing but it is actually useful. The top health communities that appear for a 22-year-old woman are migraines, depression and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). People in each health community can take a survey and explain what remedies work best to cure symptoms they have. I have learned some great migraine remedies through this online health community.
Health Predispositions/Carrier Status
This section can be a little scary, it tells you things like if you are predisposed to get diseases like Parkinson’s, Cancer and Alzheimer’s. Before you can see your results, you have to click through a tutorial explaining that the results do not mean that you actually have one of these diseases. You don’t have to open them if you don’t want to. I think it’s great to see if you’re predisposed to getting any of the diseases listed, that way you can start to take precautionary measures as soon as possible.
Traits
This is my favorite section of 23andMe, it predicts 34 traits that you possess. Some of them include ability to match musical pitch, fear of public speaking, eye colour, favorite ice cream flavor and what time you wake up in the morning. I found it to be pretty accurate. It got everything right except for my favorite ice cream flavor.
Wellness
Wellness gives you more information on the likelihood of your overall well-being. Some of the categories include alcohol flush reaction, muscle composition and sleep movement. When they said I have the muscle composition of a power athlete, I honestly laughed. It turns out this just means if I were to be an Olympic level sprinter, then my muscle composition would be advantageous. Unfortunately, in everyday life it really does not affect any workouts or tasks I complete.
Neanderthal DNA
This report illustrates how many Neanderthal variants you have in your DNA. It is believed that they interbred with humans earlier than 200,000 years ago. I only have 245 Neanderthal variants in my DNA which is less than 84% of 23andMe customers.
It’s crazy to think that all the traits you possess are a product from your direct line of ancestors. Doing a DNA test can make you feel closer to your past relatives even though you don’t know them directly. This is because you literally carry their genes, allowing part of them to survive today. I loved learning about my DNA for this reason! I recommend taking a 23andMe DNA test for anyone curious about their health or ancestry.