SCIENCE
I Finally Ordered DNA Testing
Here’s what I ordered and why
We are a fortunate people. When once, generations had only familial tales, house-call doctors, and crumpled newspapers to put together their ancestry or answer their biological questions, we have DNA. That science, I’m hoping, will help me put the pieces together.
No, I am not searching for a long lost loved one. No, I do not need to identify my lineage, as these things are known. But I do have a lot of questions.
Genetic Testing Done at Home
Today, genetic testing can be done from home with a mail-order kit and sent back to the company for analysis. Highly variable pricing, quality, and testing measures make it important to choose a reputable company with science-proven analysis methods. (I chose CRI Genetics because they test via inner cheek swab vs. blood, which, according to my research, is much more accurate. They also came in at #1 on many of the blogs I read about genetic testing.)
Why Do Genetic Testing at Home
Testing at home is the inexpensive and convenient way to find answers. It would cost a pretty penny to hire a team of doctors and research analysts, which are compiled for you via these mail-order companies. It’s what they do so they are able to streamline the process and focus on the business of testing DNA and rolling out data for you. Privacy is certainly also a concern, but you can vet a company’s privacy policy prior to buying. If they don’t have a clear privacy policy — don’t buy!
PROS
- At-home DNA testing is convenient and rather affordable.
- At-home DNA testing offers you answers, in private. Sometimes these things can be a very emotional process.
- Find out your ancestry, relatives, food sensitivities and other health answers.
CONS
- The reports can be confusing if you are not all that science-oriented. People may misinterpret data.
- It takes some time for the testing to be mailed in and for the results to be ready.
Types of Genetic Testing
There are three main types of DNA testing for ancestry purposes, performed by a DNA sample of blood, saliva, and sometimes hair.
- Y-chromosome (or Y-DNA) — Only available to biologically born males with Y chromosome to research patrilineal ancestry (through the father’s bloodline)
- mitochondrial (or mtDNA) — Traces matrilineal ancestry (through the mother’s bloodline)
- autosomal — analyzes more of your DNA and is more comprehensive for ancestry purposes
DNA testing for health purposes
There are many types of tests available that screen for disease risk, food sensitivities, and other health-related criteria. It is important to understand while these results may indicate a risk factor, it is not determinative, meaning you are not then “destined” to develop that disease. It simply means you are at risk. If you have questions about any of your testing results, schedule an appointment with your primary physician to follow-up.
At-home DNA testing may be helpful to guide you toward small dietary and lifestyle changes as you become more informed about your health. They are not meant to replace the interaction with your personal doctor or to make diagnoses. Understanding this distinction will save you a lot of added anxiety.
Why I Feel Genetic Testing Is for Me
Here’s what I ordered:
CRI Genetics: DNA Collection Kit — Ancestry Analysis + Health & Wellness
The Ancestry + Health COMBO order (was 1/2 price for me as a 1st time customer, pricing in the feature image screenshot above.))
Ancestry
- Advanced BioGeographical Ancestry Report: Discover the Ancient Origins of your DNA as our advanced algorithm explores the oldest depths of your family history
- Recent Ancestry Analysis: Reveal your most recent family stories. This should confirm what you already know about your Ancestry while adding a few surprises.
- Ancestry Timeline Report: Get an estimated year in history when each Ancestry entered your family line. This will help fill in missing pieces of your family tree.
Health
- Trait Reports: Learn interesting genetic features about yourself, including physical features (hair/eye color), unique senses of smell, and many more.
- Health and Wellness Reports: Understand how your body responds to substances like caffeine and alcohol. Also learn about your sleep cycle and hormone levels.
- Allergy Reports: Find out what allergies and sensitivities you may be susceptible to. Also get useful tips that help you live with your allergies and sensitivities.
- Nutrition Reports: Know what your body needs and how it processes certain foods, so you can plan meals that are perfect for your body!
- Weight Loss / Metabolism Reports: Discover a Blueprint for weight loss, customized to your body with a DNA-based analysis of your body’s strengths and needs.
Extras
Famous relatives testing was an extra ten bucks — why not? I’d love to see if Frankie Silver or Sam Ervin — or who knows else — will show up.
My Why Is Two-fold
We all want to know where we come from. I am fortunate enough to have a fairly clear ancestral tracing of at least 6–7 generations on both sides of my family. But what about before that? I’d love to know my roots — my deepest roots. I want to see the path of my people traced back to its origins, trace their footsteps from origins to country and country, across seas and to me.
My health is the other concern. I have a myriad of gastrointestinal issues and I am done with elimination diets, guessery, and feeling miserable after every meal. These issues are controlling my life and keeping me homebound. My quality of life is gravely affected by this and I am ready for answers!
The rest of the testing will just be bonus information on my path to self-understanding. I imagine the day my results come in, I will fix a pot of hot floral tea, put on my favorite fuzzy socks, and settle in for a deep-dive into self-discovery.
Check the Privacy and Security Measures of Any Company YOu Consider Purchasing From
Most companies will spell out their privacy policies for you on their website. Do they keep your DNA on file? Are the DNA samples anonymous? Will they destroy your DNA sample after testing and do you need to request this? How comprehensive are their customer service measures? Do you feel safe ordering from them? Check any money-back guarantees and read the fine print, so to speak. This is not like mail-ordering a toy or a book. This is the scientific use of your DNA sample by an unknown third-party. Treat it with the importance it warrants.
Be Patient
The results could take weeks or months to come back to you. They may be sent in paper copy or available to you online with a secure, sign-in. There’s no way to speed up this process so mark your calendar and prepare to be patient.
Don’t Freak Out
A bit of a personal story — my grandmother and her sister both died from a terrible disease; Parkinson's disease. No doubt, if my results were to come back saying that I have a predisposition to develop Parkinson’s disease, my gut reaction will be to cry and possible freak out — a lot. But understand this: a predisposition could simply mean that the disease has been found in my ancestry, or that the genetics for developing it are there, but it does not mean that I WILL develop this debilitating and deadly disease. At this point, it would be my personal responsibility to discuss the results with my doctor and get the follow-up information I need to move forward.
With any DNA testing result, your own medical doctor will be most qualified to interpret the results and what that means to your health. The rest is speculation or it is your own limited analysis of the data. Having a science education, I hope that I can rely on that for deeper understanding of my results, but ultimately: results are not diagnoses.
My package is on its way. Today it checked into the USPS facility less than 50 miles from me. I feel excited. Seriously excited. And yes, I’ll share this journey with you.
Updates: Stay tuned!
Thank you for reading.
