At-home DNA tests — what can they tell you?

It has become pretty common to send off a saliva sample or a cheek swab to find out more about yourself.

At-home DNA testing kits offer insights into ancestry, but also claim to be able to tell you your risk of certain diseases, or even give you unique diet advice.

Norman and Tegan explore the limits of these kits, and some things you should consider before potentially buying one.

References:

• Understanding Human Genetic Variation
• What Can At-Home Genetic Tests Tell Me About My Health? - PMC
• The sense and nonsense of direct-to-consumer genetic testing for cardiovascular disease
• First, do no harm: direct-to-consumer genetic testing
• Do at-home genetic tests work? - MD Anderson
• Genetic testing | Cancer Council 
• Direct‐to‐consumer genetic tests providing health risk information: A systematic review of consequences for consumers and health services
• Australians’ perspectives on support around use of personal genomic testing: Findings from the Genioz study
• Understanding Direct-to-Consumer genetic DNA testing | NHMRC
• What people really change after genetic testing (GT) performed in private labs: results from an Italian study
• Direct‐to‐consumer genetic tests providing health risk information: A systematic review of consequences for consumers and health services

If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!

• Should you base your diet on your blood type?
• Why is the internet telling me to lower my cortisol?
• What on earth is grounding?!