North

I recently took advantage of 23andMe’s DNA-day sale to get a health and ancestry genetic analysis for $99 (reg. $499). I spat in a tube and sent my saliva across the country.

About three weeks later (much shorter than the 6- to 8-week estimate), I got an e-mail with one of the coolest subject lines ever:

Your Genetic Profile is Ready

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect before I logged in. I was anxious to see if my genes put me at high risk for any health conditions and I was curious about my ancestry, but I didn’t have any specific questions that I hoped would be answered (maybe I’ve been watching too much “Lost”).

Before I even had a chance to log in, I got another e-mail from 23andMe — a potential 5th cousin wanted to get in touch (I have yet to respond).

This seems like a good place to point out that my name and genetic information were not made public. 23andMe’s relative finder lists potential relatives using generic characteristics such as “North American male” and how close the relationship might be (3rd cousin, 5th cousin, etc.).

Once I logged in and started exploring I learned there’s nothing that really stands out. It was no surprise that my DNA is 99% European. (Less than 1% is Asian, but according to the footnotes, that’s most likely noise in the data.)

Both my maternal and paternal haplogroups are concentrated in Europe and the Near East. Based on the analysis, I most-likely have blue eyes (I do) and wet earwax (also true).

One interesting bit is that I’m most likely a sprinter (vs. endurance athlete) because I have a working copy of a gene linked to fast-twitch muscle fibers.

I hope to learn more about these and other traits as I delve deeper into the results.

Moving further into the health traits are disease risks. I have a slightly higher chance of developing Celiac disease, but lower chances of Melanoma and Restless-Leg Syndrome. Mostly, though, I have about average levels of risk for many diseases and conditions — based solely on my genes, not other risk factors.

Even though there haven’t been any surprises or life-changing findings so far (no signs of an X-gene or Kryptonian DNA), I’m amazed that this type of service is available. And I’m really looking forward to seeing how my analysis differs from family members who also got kits and should be receiving their results soon.