My friend Vicky recently told me about the 23 and Me DNA testing service. You register, they send you a kit, you send them some DNA-laden spit, and then the analyzing begins. 23 and Me looks at your sample and then uploads a personalized profile which gives you insight into 240+ health conditions and traits. Things like gluten sensitivity, or whether you’re a carrier of an inherited condition.
Pretty cool, huh?
I’m all about preventative medical practices, and — if it were covered by insurance — would love to get an MRI and other extensive tests just to get a real look into my overall health (and to help spotlight any detectable pending developments).
Has anyone tried this (or any other) at-home DNA test? I’d be interested to know your feedback. It would be awesome to learn more about my makeup through something like this, and perhaps get advice on ways to improve my health in the process.
So far my experience with mail-order DNA tests has left me somewhat skeptical. We got a doggie DNA test for Fulton from my parents a couple of years ago, and his analysis showed him as being predominantly boxer (totally true), but secondarily sheltie. Hmm…not so sure about that one. (Pit bull? Sure. Plott hound? Quite believable. But a sheltie? Like I said — I’m skeptical.)
