Iowans who got DNA testing kits as Christmas gifts can learn more about their ancestry — and perhaps much more.
Consumer consultant Claudia Lombana says the kits go well beyond your genetic roots and can give you access to more than 25 DNA-based products, including what type of wine may best suit you to a host of health and fitness information.
Lombana says, “If we talk about fitness and nutrition, there are a couple of kits that will tell you based on your specific DNA the types of exercise that are best for you, the type of nutrition that is best for you.”
For the purchase price, the consumer simply has to spit into a tube, seal it, send it in and wait for the results to come back. The data can be fascinating and very helpful.
“You might be predisposed to high cholesterol but it doesn’t mean your sibling will be,” Lombana says. “It doesn’t mean you’re going to get it but at least it lets you know, ‘Wow, I have a predisposition to this so maybe I should cut back on my salt,’ or cut back on sugar if you have a predisposition to diabetes. There are differences and a lot of great insights and information you can find out.”
For those who want to stick to the basics, Lombana says some kits can follow your DNA back centuries. “You can dive deeper into your ancestry and it will even tell you the migration paths of your ancestors and the percentage of Neanderthal that you have in you,” she says, laughing. “So, some really interesting and cool things that you can find out.”
Lombana says if you want to buy a kit, do some homework first. Prices vary on what you want to find out, from as little as $50 to several hundred dollars.