Has anyone tried one of those DNA testing sites like 23andme or AncestryDNA? I’m curious if you thought it was worth the price and what knowledge you gained from the test?
1 Like
I have had testing done for other things but haven’t done the 23andme. I want to, but haven’t gotten around to it. I think it can be useful and could maybe help you identify things you already suspected (like your reaction to caffeine).
Precision nutrition has a good summary about genetic testing.
1 Like
I’ve always been intrigued by it
Ya, it seems pretty neat, but I don’t want to waste $150+ if all you find out is you’re 25% Irish, 50% English, 25% other… I like the 23andme one the best from what I’ve read so far because of the additional stuff you’re supposed to get along with the ancestry info. It’s $199 though. I might just do it.
report back if you do please, mate. I’d be really interested to hear if it’s worth it.
That is, if you don’t mind me knowing how genetically inferior you are
1 Like
Lol, sounds good. I wonder if it’ll list my chances in a fight against Ronda Rousy…
1 Like
I’m just more interested in how many pull ups it says you can do. 5 grand is a lot of money.
1 Like
I haven’t done it, but if I did, I’d definitely approach it from a health perspective. Dr. Rhonda Patrick (who’s wicked smart and always makes me feel so dumb in the best possible way) discussed it pretty science-y here:
1 Like
I am definitely more interest in the health information you’re supposed to get. The ancestry stuff is just icing on the cake in my book (I’m about as white as you can get so it won’t be all that eye opening…).
The science is way over my head, lol.
Ha, me too, no doubt. But I do kinda like knowing that smart people are out there who think this kind of stuff makes sense and is a good idea.
I’d just hope the end report is simplified like, “Your DNA wants to give you this disease, so take this stuff to stop it. Also, avoid this stuff because your cells will catch fire if you eat it.”
Definitely let us know if you get the workup.
2 Likes
It’s a bit of a Pandora’s Box though, eh? I watched a show years ago where quite a famous tv presenter (UK daytime TV, can’t remember her name) had her DNA analysed, and they told her she had like a 90% chance of getting alzheimer’s.
She was like “is there anything I can do about it?” and they were like “na, probably not.”
Seems to me like you’d be happier not knowing…
1 Like
I think there was a lawsuit because they tried to do this. Now I believe they can only say with a % confidence that you might be at risk for something, but they can’t guarantee it and they can’t prescribe remedies.
Eh, I guess that’d depend a bit on the person and their outlook on health and life in general. I can’t imagine wanting to get the test done if you weren’t going to act on the results. And I have a feeling there really aren’t all that many “You’re shit outta luck”-conditions.
Dr. Patrick has said her own test came back as having an increased risk of Alzheimer’s (ApoE4, discussed around 9:30 in the vid above), so she’s taking nutritional and lifestyle steps to counteract the progression. With presumably a few decades headstart, that’s gotta be an advantage.
1 Like
That’s true and something I hadn’t considered. I don’t have any family history that worries me though and I’m not the worrying type anyway. I could see how the results could totally mind fuck you, though.
Fuck it, I ordered the 23andme one. Should have it in 5-8 days and it takes 6-8 weeks to process.
You get an at home kit and they will do full gene sequencing on you, however they only interpret 1 set of data, they do however give you the RAW data that you can then send to other companies to evaluate for you.
Things like which drugs you should be prescribed for certain things, diseases you might be prone to, etc.
1 Like
I’ve read 1984 too many times to do this…
1 Like
In a 1984 type scenario I’d probably be dead long before any info they could get from this could be used against me.
I’ve considered it, especially from a health perspective. Having never met my father and knowing incredibly little about him, I have no medical history for that entire side of the family. Being in my 30s now and about to have a child has put more importance than ever on the future.
But who knows. If I do it, I’ll be sure to post about the experience here.
1 Like