We tried 23andMe's new genetic test, and there’s so much you can learn about yourself from a small vial of spit
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I am often confounded by the realities of 2016. We have apps that can get you food in minutes, Star Wars films that look more realistic than ever before, and access to the endless expanse of human knowledge that is the World Wide Web. But of all the signals that have forced me to acknowledge that, yes, we are living in the future, few have struck me as hard as 23andMe.
23andMe is a direct-to-consumer genome test service meant to provide its customers with an idea of what their genetic makeup says about them. Named for the 23 pairs of chromosomes in a human cell, 23andMe will take a small sample of your DNA and, from it, create over 60 reports regarding information about your health, your bodily traits, and your ancestry. The company was put on hold for two years after the FDA shut it down out of concerns that consumers might misinterpret results as a diagnosis and attempt to self treat. After making some adjustments, 23andMe came back last fall, this time with support from the FDA.
When I was first assigned the task of covering 23andMe, I was hesitant. Also, I didn’t have many questions about my family history, and any information regarding my potential future health that could be extracted by an analysis of my DNA is information I’d prefer remain unknown. I expressed these concerns to a friend of mine, who immediately said he’d love the chance to get his DNA mapped, so after talking to my editor, it was established that JR would be taking part in the experience.
You can order your own 23andMe kit for $199 here.
Meet JR
FacebookJR has been a friend since middle school. He was interested in 23andMe mostly because he knew very little about his ancestry. “I used to ask my mom about my family; she would just say that we were rednecks,” he said, when I asked him what he knew about his family. “I’ve always hear that I was part Native American, but I don’t have any evidence.”
There are other reasons that people would want to take part in 23andMe; if you are planning on starting a family, there are carrier status reports that could give insight to potential inherited conditions that you could pass on to your children. In JR’s case, though, he was most interested in figuring out something about his heritage, and so we began.
Mailing your kit
23andMeThe kit is simple enough. It comes in an attractive, brightly colored box that is quite inviting. Inside is a tube for you to spit into and prepaid packaging for its return. First, you must register your kit online to ensure your results get back to you. After that, you’ll spit up to the line in the provided vial (it took JR approximately 4.5 spits), seal it, put it in the return envelope, and drop it in the mail. It’s a super simple process.
About six weeks after mailing in your sample, you’ll get an email letting you know that your results are ready. JR alerted me when he received his email, and we went through his results together. Here were his most important finds while examining his genome map.
You can order your own 23andMe kit for $199 here.
Results 1: Traits
23andMeOne aspect of 23andMe's genetic mapping is a break down of certain traits you might have: hair color, sneezing in response to sunlight, and preference in taste. With regard to JR, 23andMe got a lot of things right about his looks — light, straight hair and blue eyes — all based on a little vial of his spit. It was impressive. But one trait caught JR's eye more than the others.
“I was really interested to find out I am more likely to consume more caffeine than the average person. It makes a lot of sense.”
JR works as a barista and is a committed coffee drinker. 23andMe knows a lot.
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