Your DNA holds more information about who you are as a person than you are probably aware. Everything from your preference of sweet vs. salty to eye color to your potential disposition to develop certain medical conditions is found in your DNA unique to you. 23andMe is a revolutionary company that analyzes your DNA and gives you your results on a user friendly website. Not only does the company determine your genetic ancestry from 31 major people groups across the globe, but also gives carrier status for over 35 medical conditions, physical and biological traits, amount of Neanderthal DNA present in your own DNA, and multiple tools to help you connect with your DNA relatives.
My parents vaguely knew the nationalities on their sides of the family and told me I was a large conglomerate of European ancestries. They didn’t know exact percentages, but had an idea that Italian, German, Irish and Swedish were in the mix along with a few others. I was always curious about my ancestry and what parts of the world my heritage belonged to, so when I discovered 23andMe I knew it would be a worthwhile investment.
Not only was I curious about my ancestry, but also about the health reports they offered. 23andMe is the first and only genetic service that is approved by the FDA to include carrier status health reports. 23andMe analyzes your DNA and determines if you have the genetic variant associated with major genetic diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis, Sickle Cell Anemia, ARSACS and 33 others. This information is helpful to know because genetic diseases pass down generation through generation, and if you test positive for one of these variants there is a potential that it will be passed down to your children, or you yourself may develop the condition later on in life.
Sending your DNA to 23andMe is a simple process. They send you a container to collect saliva; you fill it up to the line, then seal it and send it out. It takes approximately 4-8 weeks for you to get your results. During that time you are encouraged to fill out multiple questionnaires about yourself, your habits, medical history, and other seemingly random questions. These questions are used for research when your DNA results come in. It is 23andMe’s goal to find as many genetic markers as possible, so by filling out the research questions they will be able to compare your DNA with others in order to find a genetic connection for that particular trait or condition.
23andMe also has specific research interests in Inflammatory Bowl Disorder (Including Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis) and Parkinson’s disease. If you suffer from one of these conditions, you could be eligible to join the study and have your DNA analyzed at no cost if you participate in their research questions. 23andMe is making headlines in their research department for discoveries of genetic associations for Parkinson’s disease, Rosacea, having a uni-brow, being a morning person, being nearsightedness, Misphonia (the rage at hearing other people eat) and even disliking the taste of cilantro.
When I finally received my results, I was ecstatic! 23andMe correctly predicted many of my traits such as eye color, dimples, earlobe type, hair color and texture, freckles, skin pigmentation and that I prefer sweet over salty tastes. It also gave my maternal haplogroup, which is the group of ancestors thousands of years ago through the maternal line. It also revealed that I have 268 Neanderthal genetic variants in my own DNA! It also gave information on my ability to handle caffeine, alcohol and lactose (It turns out I truly am lactose intolerant). Thankfully I did not test positive for any of the disease variants, which is a relief. There is also an option to view the complete scientific details of the genetic reports if you want to see what they analyzed to get the results.
Not surprisingly it turns out that I am 99.8% European. What's really neat is that it gives a breakdown into regions and people groups within the continent. It came as a shock to me that there was a tiny percentage of Japanese, North African and Middle Eastern ancestry in me! I was not as Italian as I thought I would be and never would have expected to be Sardinian and Balkan. This makes me look back on my ancestry in a whole new light.
One of the coolest features on the site is DNA relatives tool. It lists relatives based on DNA similarities and you are able to message users to figure out how you are connected. I had a conversation with a woman who matched with me as a 4th cousin and we determined that we shared ancestors in Monte San Giacomo, Italy, which is where my Grandmother’s family was from. Through this connection I was able to find records of some of my ancestors in Italy back to the year 1700! Through the site you can also build a family tree, share and compare your genetic results with family members and friends, and even speak with a genetic counselor to answer any questions.
23andMe showed me a new side of myself that I would have never discovered if I hadn’t analyzed my DNA through their service. I can’t wait to find more connections with relatives and figure out the pieces of my ancestry puzzle. 23andMe is completely worth it and I highly encourage anybody who is interested in who they are to analyze their DNA and discover new information about themselves!
