If you’ve been thinking about ordering one of those at-home DNA tests, now might be the time to pull the trigger: 23andMe just added some pretty cool new features to tell you even more about your favorite subject: you.
People who sign up for its Health + Ancestry package (that’s the one that helps you learn what your DNA says about your overall health, traits, and ancestry), will now get four new pieces of intel back from their spit-test results:
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Again, this test isn’t going to actually change your hair (or your taste for cilantro). But it will tell you if these things are actually in your DNA vs. being influenced by environmental factors, says Becca Krock, Ph.D., a product scientist at 23andMe.
For example, maybe you use really amazing haircare products that make your hair thicker than it was destined to be…or hate the taste of cilantro after a really bad experience with Taco Tuesday—or maybe you’re just genetically predisposed to those things.
“These reports are meant as a fun way to provide some explanation for how you ended up the way you did,” she explains.
So, how does 23andMe even figure this stuff out?
According to James Ashenhurst, Ph.D., a product scientist at 23andMe, the company conducted an analysis called a Genome-Wide Association study, using data from thousands of research participants who answered certain questions like “do you like the taste of fresh cilantro?”
Scientists then looked at hundreds of thousands of DNA variants across the participants’ genomes and tested for statistical links between specific DNA variants and specific survey answers.
So, if your DNA matches up with one of those, it’s pretty likely that you also have those traits.
Okay, but what else will I get if I pay the $$ for this?
In addition to learning about your ancestry, you’ll also find out whether you’re a carrier for certain genetic conditions, what your genes say about how likely habits like, say, eating red meat on the reg are to make you overweight, and more.
Interested? The Health + Ancestry test is available on Amazon for $139.
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