23andMe Review 2024: Reviewing The Best DNA Test Kits

Here we will discuss 23andMe Review 2024. To start with it all, using 23andMe, you are provided with DNA tests that do two things: break down your Ancestry and give you an enormous depiction of your Health by using your saliva sample. They are also about pinpointing where one comes from by matching their DNA with over 2,000 reference populations. They even get a particular way down to countries.

23andMe Review 2024

However, it is not only about the roots. 23andMe also looks at the DNA for signs of certain diseases and conditions that could run in your family or pass down to your kids. Furthermore, a user once dug into all the nooks and crannies – features, results, cost and support to see if 23andMe can walk the talk.

So now, if you want to explore your heritage, you should see sub-regional Ancestry and peek into your genetic health risks; 23andMe’s test is simply an intelligent choice. However, if you are about tracing your family tree, connecting with relatives and wanting to dive into your Ancestry, then you should try AncestryDNA. They have the most extensive global record and user database, so unearthing your ancestor’s information is a breeze.

Products and Services in 23andMe: just two kits do it all!

You have two DNA testing options offered by 23andMe: an Ancestry + Traits test and a Health + Ancestry test, the latter of which I also took myself just for this review.

23andMe also ships to the UK and US and an additional 50 countries. This includes the whole of Europe and several Asia Pacific countries.

Moreover, the DNA that you get from 23andMe analyzes your DNA to discover potential relatives through DNA mat and determine ching. Your predisposition to ensure you, so your genet, is rid your carrier status for various health condition.

This package has a membership that includes everything from the Health + Ancestry Kit, and you also get access to exclusive reports and enhanced ancestry features.

You can check out the comparison table below; it will help you decide which 23andMe service suits you best.

What is 23andMe, and how it works?

You already know what you should expect from the DNA testing process with 23andMe. I had ordered the Health + Ancestry test and was pleased that it arrived in less than a week. You will see that the at-home DNA test kit contains a saliva collection tube, stabilizing fluid, a baggy with a cotton pad to secure your sample and an instruction booklet.

Before you collect your saliva sample, you must register your kit on the 23andMe website. This process also involves entering the unique code provided with your kit and creating an account. It would be best to remember that this registration step is crucial because it allows the laboratory to link your DNA sample to your account and ensures that you receive progress updates through your account and email.

In the booklet, the instructions make the collection process straightforward. Hence, to ensure the submission of a high-quality sample, you should abstain from eating, drinking, or chewing gum for a minimum of 30 minutes before you complete the test. Furthermore, it is also worth noting that a few users have mentioned that 23andMe might require a slightly larger saliva sample; therefore, being a little generous with your sample can help avoid any possible delays in delivering your results.

Update my 23andMe DNA Matches and Tree

I didn’t enjoy spitting into the collection tube repeatedly; it certainly is not as quick as swabbing the cheeks as you get to do with the MyHeritage ancestry test. Nonetheless, within 5 minutes, I had already filled the saliva collection tube to the required level, even though I had a dry mouth at the end.

Now, all that is left to do is to stabilize your sample with the provided vial of fluid, and then you are ready to send it to the lab. It would be best to ship your sample in the box the kit came in, saving on waste, and the shipping is already paid for. Moreover, I just needed to pop it in my nearest postbox and wait for my results to be ready, which takes about 4 to 6 weeks.

5 Standout Features

Ancestry Composition

The results you get from 23andMe include an ancestry composition and a list of your population percentages arranged in a hierarchy from the continental to the regional level. It also consists of a percentage breakdown of the ethnicities that help to make up your heritage.

To determine your ancestral breakdown, 23andMe uses an algorithm that helps analyze short pieces of DNA that are compared to reference populations, made up of thousands of individuals whose Ancestry is known of 45 individual regions and ethnicities.

My Ancestry composition shows that I am 99.3% European, with the remaining 0.6% being Sudanese and North African. And the majority of my heritage is British and Irish, with some Scandinavian.

You can select any of your ethnicities from the interactive colour-coded map to learn more about that particular heritage and how the genetic signature found its way into your DNA. Also, the DNA matches those who share the same ethnicity. You also discover extensive historical and cultural information, which is excellent for history buffs.

And if you dig deeper into your report, you can even discover your recent Ancestry from the last 200 years, which can pinpoint your origins at the sub-regional level. This is done by comparing your DNA to that from over 2,000 reference populations, which consist of 400,000 samples.

Furthermore, if you would like to be assigned a recent ancestor location, you must share identical DNA segments with groups of people with known Ancestry from that location. The strength of the probability of recent Ancestry arranges the regional ancestry locations.

Maternal and Paternal Haplogroups

The 23andMe haplogroup reports can help to shed light on the origins and migrations of your ancestors going back tens of thousands of years. Moreover, your maternal haplogroup tells you about your maternal line ancestors and is also inherited from your mother’s mtDNA. However, if you are a male, your paternal haplogroup will tell you about your paternal line ancestors, inherited from the father to son from Y-DNA.

Now, as human beings are spreading out geographically, it is also reflected in variations in mtDNA and Y-DNA and by looking at the pattern of variants in present-day populations. You can also use them to trace human genetic and migration history. Isn’t this fascinating?

Everyone can trace their maternal Ancestry to a single woman who lived between 150,000 and 200,000 years ago. However, with maternal and paternal Haplogroups, you can also trace your Ancestry to a more recent common ancestor. For example, my maternal haplogroup is ‘H’, which indicates that I am descend from a woman who lived in the Middle East 18,000 years ago.

Neanderthal DNA

Do you know that the Neanderthals were prehistoric humans who interbred with modern humans before they became extinct around 40,000 years ago, but a part of them remains in our DNA? Now, isn’t this interesting?

The research suggests that 1-2% of the DNA of all modern humans with Asian, Native American or European Ancestry is Neanderthal in origin. Besides, you can find out how much you have with 23andMe’s detailed Neanderthal ancestry report.

As you can see in the image, my Neanderthal report shows me that I have about 2% Neanderthal DNA, which equates to 242 gene variants out of the 7,462 tested. The report includes the following;

1. How does your level of Neanderthal DNA compare with other 23andMe customers?
2. Traits are associate with your Neanderthal DNA variant, such as your likelihood to have a fear of heights.
3. Many interesting facts about Neanderthals include what they looked like and how intelligent they were.

DNA matches

Following the analysis of your DNA, 23andMe also searches for users in their database with DNA segments that match yours. Hence, you discover that the percentage of DNA you share with your matches is used to estimate how they are related.

Therefore, as you can see, my DNA matches indicate that there are 1,500 people in the 23andMe database with whom I share DNA.

You should inspect each match more closely to know where on your chromosomes you share DNA, where they fit on your family tree, how the ancestry breakdown can be compared to yours, relatives you have in common, their haplogroup, and the proportion of Neanderthal DNA. If you want, you can also contact your DNA matches and learn more about your shared heritage.

Furthermore, your close DNA matches are automatically add to your family tree base on your estimate relationship. As you know, the family tree builder is easy to use with simple input methods.

In addition, 23andMe has recently launched a new tool for health + Ancestry service customers in the US and Canada called the ‘Family Health History Tree’. It presents as a regular family tree. However, it includes the ability to include critical medical conditions, which gives you a visual record of your and your close relatives’ past and current health issues. Moreover, this might help you to understand more about your Health and the Health of your children.

Nonetheless, it is not as sophisticated as those offered by Ancestry and MyHeritage, which also provide you access to vast historical databases., However, 23andMe’s family tree builder gives you a good starting point for your genealogy journey.

Health and Traits

You also have 100 personalized health and traits reports included as well in the Health + Ancestry test from 23andMe. This will let you learn how your DNA can affect your chances of developing certain health conditions, such as your carrier status for congenital diseases, several wellness reporters and also how your genes influence certain physical senses and weird and unique traits.

You have the Health Predisposition reports currently available for 14 conditions. Which include Celiac disease, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and the BRCA1/BRCA2 genes, which are associate with breast and ovarian cancer. So, if you know your risk level, you can easily access your personalized Health Action Plan to discover steps to mitigate your risk.

Share DNA Results and Tree Access at Ancestry

You also have the Carrier Status reports for 44 congenital conditions. This helps you to see if you have genetic variants that can passed on to your children. Therefore, if you are planning on starting a family tree. Then carrier testing can surely tell you your risk of passing on Canavan disease.

There’s more to it; you are also provided with 8 wellness reports to help you discover how your body responds to diet, exercise and sleep.

You also need to know about 34 trait reports to explore the genetics behind your appearance and sense. That includes cheek dimples, earlobe type, hair texture, newborn, and even waking-up time.

So now we hope you find this helpful article, 23andMe Review 2024, answering all your queries here. However, you can contact the diligent technicians provided if you require further details or anything related. You can call us at our Family Tree Support Number at +1-888-257-3335, or you can live chat with our experts.

23andme FAQs

Question:-  How accurate is 23andMe?

Answer:- 23andMe provides accurate information about ancestry and certain genetic traits. However, its health reports may vary in accuracy and should be confirm with professional medical advice for critical decisions.

Question:- How can I take a 23andMe DNA test?

Answer:- You should know that the DNA tests from 23andMe require a saliva sample. Which involves spitting into a tube until you reach the required level. You wouldn’t find spitting into a tube over and over as the most pleasant experience. But it only takes less than five minutes, even if you have a dry mouth.

Question:- Do we get accurate DNA tests in 23andMe?

Answer:- Finally, with 23andMe DNA, the test results are accurate at a rate of over 99%, specifically for health information.

Question:- What are the disadvantages of using 23andMe?

Answer:-  The disadvantages of 23andMe are that it can lead to a false sense of alarm or complacency, specifically regarding health risks.

Question:- What is the cost of 23andME?

Answer:- You should know that 23andMe offers Ancestry and Health reports separately. You can buy an Ancestry for $99 or an Ancestry + Health report for $199. Both kits require collecting saliva samples and come with everything you need to get start.

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