Getting a Home DNA Test seems to be the most popular thing to do during the pandemic. Everyone’s curious about where their ancestors came from and what health concerns they should consider. Now, the quest for clarity has been solved!
With a Home DNA Test, you can unlock the life-long answers you’ve been searching for within minutes. All it takes is a sample of your saliva or swab of your cheek. But there seems to be a bit of confusion about how DNA tests actually work. The biggest challenge: all the “facts” aren’t always true.
Before you purchase a home DNA test or take the results as face-value, here are a few tips to ensure you are not led astray.
Common diseases such as breast cancer and Alzheimer’s can possibly be detected through a home DNA test. But you can’t always rely on the results to accurately reflect your odds of being disease-free. If your lifestyle habits are leading you down a dark road, your genes probably won’t help you. It’s easy to put all your hope into a DNA test to determine your health status but there are more factors beyond genes that will affect your risk of getting diseases. Don’t let a DNA test convince you that you don’t need to commit to a healthy lifestyle to achieve optimal health.
Genetics is a growing field — but that doesn’t mean the entire universe of diseases have been discovered. Although you may be able to rely on a home DNA test to track popular diseases, you may not get the information you need to uncover lesser-known diseases that may impact you.
Popular DNA test kits such as AncestryDNA, 23andMe, and MyHeritage Genetics all come with benefits but you should be aware of the limitations — they all have their own database of samples from various people all over the world. The companies match your sample against the others that are in their database. So, if members of your family tree were not tested by…
the company product you decide to use for your test, they won’t be included and you won’t even know they exist.
Don’t rely on your sister or brother’s home DNA test results to give you the answers you need. Unfortunately, the DNA make-up may not be 100% the same. It’s likely that you got more of your father’s African DNA and your brother got more of their European DNA. Now add your mother’s DNA to the mix and things can get a bit more complicated. It’s common for siblings to not inherit all the same features and have a different physical build and complexion. Well, this also is true when it comes to DNA.
Getting a home DNA test can be very appealing if you have the opportunity to find out what nutritional options work best for your body. But there aren’t any studies available that prove genetic tests provide valuable information to optimize your health. You’ll find some testing companies offering advice based on your results. They may even try to sell dietary supplements to you. Be cautious; it may not work as expected.
Home DNA Tests can get you closer to the answers you seek but it’s not the full story. Don’t let the DNA test stop you from exploring the path of your ancestors and learning ways to best protect your body from diseases. Although you won’t get all the information you need, a home DNA test can come in handy. Do your research to ensure you get the best DNA tests on the market and that the tests are FDA-approved. You also want to make sure the test meets U.S. Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) standards to help you get the best results.
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