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Sunday, September 15th
Whether you want an extensive look at your DNA for health reasons or for tracing your ancestry and connecting with living relatives, 23andMe is your best choice. You'll be blown away by the 150+ reports available through their Health + Ancestry service, or even the 80+ reports with the Ancestry + Traits kit. 23andMe is committed to your wellness with ongoing research and frequent updates to your profile, adding new information several times a year. And, with more than 10 million people in their DNA network, you should have no trouble finding family members around the world. 23andMe continues to earn our highest recommendation for DNA testing kits.
Living DNA offers two types of DNA test results: ancestry and wellbeing. If you have roots in the British Isles or Africa, this test may give you deeper insights than many of Living DNA's rival providers. We're less impressed with their family matching options - because their database is much, much smaller - or their wellbeing results, but many customers have good things to say about this service. We'd definitely look at other options before settling for Living DNA.
Direct-to-consumer DNA testing has exploded over the last decade. From popular TV shows that document the ancestry of celebrities to clickbait articles describing the latest "she almost married her long-lost brother!” scandal prevented by a DNA test, it seems like everyone is pretty familiar with the appeal and power of these kits.
There are three main reasons why people buy a DNA test these days. The most common is to explore their heritage. Am I really related to royalty? Did my great-great-grandparents actually come from a small town in Italy? DNA tests can often reveal the answers to such questions. These tests also help people connect with living relatives, from distant cousins overseas to half-siblings and even previously-unknown parents.
Most DNA testing services allow you to keep that information private, though, if you just want to see your ethnicity breakdown without disclosing yourself to any relatives who might be in their database.
The second reason many individuals choose to buy a DNA testing kit is to get information on health and wellness. Depending on the provider you choose, your results may include basic traits like cleft chin or sensitivity to caffeine, or they may go so far as to tell you if you're a carrier for certain hereditary diseases. These tests can help you be proactive with your health, give your physician more details to guide your treatment, and maybe even prolong your life.
If you've ever watched The Jerry Springer Show, you already know the third reason people buy DNA tests: to prove paternity. That's easier to do when the alleged father is a willing participant in the test, but some companies also offer sibling, half-sibling, grandparent and avuncular (such as aunt/uncle) options that can give you a percentage of likelihood that the individual is related.
You've got lots of options for DNA testing kids. Which one should you buy? These are the factors you should keep in mind as you decide:
To help you choose the right service to learn more about your health and heritage, Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated and ranked the most popular providers of DNA testing kits on the market today. We're confident that through these tests, you can discover everything you've wanted to know about your genetics!
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