In the past decade, DNA sequencing has gotten really, really cheap, paving the way for an onslaught of direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies that purport to offer the answers to everything from what wine you might like to the type of exercise optimised for your body.
For an initial fee of $US80 ($[AU]101), the company [Helix] sequences what’s known as the exome, the 20,000 or so most important genes of the human genome. […] Customers can then pick and choose what pieces of information they might like from their genome, purchasing third-party DNA apps from the Helix store.
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I’ve previously reported on the pseudoscientific nature of many lifestyle DNA tests. […] Many tests rely on either incomplete science, or an incomplete understanding of how much your genetics relate to who you are.
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Tests contradicted facts I know to be true, such as the test that told me I have naturally high levels of B12; earlier this year, I started taking vitamin B supplements after a blood test at my doctor’s office revealed my levels of vitamin B were extremely low. Individual tests also seemed to sometimes contradict themselves, as did the test that informed me I was both not at risk for obesity (hooray!) and prone to obesity (damn) based on different genes.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: Tried A Bunch Of DNA Tests And All I Got Was A Bunch Of Useless Data
