DNA testing are getting more affordable in the recent years and now you could even get DNA collection kits delivered right to your doorstep.
However, how do you know which one is suitable for you?
1. Understand What You Will Get In The Reports
Not all DNA testing companies provide the same list of traits. Some companies may also group their traits in different categories.
Before you make a decision to order a DNA test to your home, do ask for demo reports to get an idea of what traits are being offered by that company.
2. Know What Is Provided In A DNA Report
DNA testing can provide you with various information, some of which may not be helpful for you. Therefore, it is best for you to understand what do you want to discover through a DNA test.
Here are some examples of what DNA reports can tell you about yourself:
- Health Risks
- Diet Management
- Nutritional Deficiency Risks
- Fitness Potential
- Skincare and aesthetics
- Food sensitivities
- Inner potential
3. Know The Difference Between DNA Test And Blood Test
You might think DNA test is just like any other routine blood tests, IT IS NOT!
DNA tests profiles you according to your genetic markers whereas blood tests profiles you according to your biomarkers. Because of that, DNA tests can tell you your genetic makeup and fundamentals about your body’s makeup.
While blood tests tells your current health condition by measuring the biomarkers present in your blood. A combination of both will give you a good understanding about your fundamental condition as well as your current condition of your body.
4. Consider Where Your DNA Will Be Processed
The quality and accuracy of the report partly relies on the DNA database that the company possesses. Although the lab processing method can be similar across different companies, however the real deciding factor will be their capacity in generating the DNA reports.
5. Understand What Is DNA And Its Limitations
You might think that DNA contains all the secrets to your life. Unfortunately, your DNA can only tell you about your body, not your life. While your DNA can reveal the NATURE of your body, there are other factors that affects your health outcome.
Your environment, your lifestyle, your eating and exercise habits are all part of the NURTURE component that would influence your health.
So, discovering about your NATURE could streamline how you NURTURE yourself for better health outcomes in the future!
6. Know The Different DNA Technologies Available
Imagine that your DNA is like an entire book, where the A’s, T’s, C’s and G’s that make up your DNA are like the letters and words in a book.
Genotyping is like reading a some words on different pages while sequencing reads the entire book.
Genotyping and sequencing have their own pros and cons. That’s why before you decide on a particular test, you should understand which DNA technology is being used.
7. Check If You Have Access To Your DNA Raw Data
Discovering one’s own DNA is a growing trend in western countries such US and Europe, there are bioinformatics companies that offer services to provide additional reports from your genomic data.
In order to do that, you will need to be able download your raw genomic data and provide it to these companies. Following this, you can get more reports and compare from different bioinformatic companies to get a better picture about yourself.
Good, now you are ready!
Although DNA tests might sound overwhelming at first but you will be surprised with what you can discover on your DNA reports. Join our DNA Explorer community by getting a DNA Explorer kit right away!
