In the US, the use of DNA testing services and publicly available data by police to apprehend criminals is attracting mixed opinions from the public.
Not everyone agrees with how the data is used. But on the other hand, the testing services provide comprehensive information most people would never have learned about.
Your ancestry, for instance—ever wanted to trace your Chinese ancestry? Buy a DNA-testing service kit. It only takes a couple of minutes to provide a sample of your saliva. The results come back after a month. But what exactly do the results say about you?
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The Obvious (or not so Obvious)
Depending on the exact type of test, you can discover your ancestry in your mother’s or father’s side. An autosomal test provides results with both your parents’ ancestries included. A Y-DNA test only deals with your ancestry on your father’s side. An mtDNA test does the opposite, showing your ancestry on your mother’s side.
DNA testing services can be dumbfounding, especially when you’ve always been told you originated from a specific region of China. Most people, for instance, identify as Han when to be exact they may have sprinkles of Tibetan, Korean, Tujian and Mongol in them.
As already mentioned, DNA testing services can produce results that trace back to the 1600s. If you are interested in exhaustive data about your origins, go for them. Some of the tests can actually trace back to thousands of years ago.
Relatives you don’t know
Besides telling you where your ancestors came from, DNA testing services can prove you have some famous relatives. If you’ve always suspected you had some Dalai Lama in you, a quick test can confirm or dismiss your suspicions.
The tests cost less than 600 yen anyway. If someone thinks you have the wisdom of Confucius, no need to debate about it any longer. Simply get a test and find out whether you are indeed related to the philosopher.
DNA testing services don’t deal with the past only. They also provide results of whether you are related to people in the present. While some are not accurate enough to confirm how you are related, they at least confirm or dismiss your suspicions.
The services have some limitations in showing your relatives though. They only work with the data provided by others. If no one in your family has had a similar test, you may not learn a lot about your immediate relatives.
Your Body’s Healthy blueprint
You probably have experienced this before. You eat junk food for a few weeks and your weight increases tenfold. Someone else eats the same foods and nothing changes for them. Why does this always happen to you? Blame your genes—at least the bad genes.
If you have doubts that your genes may behind your love for gluten sensitivity, take a DNA testing service. You can not only find out who else in your lineage had similar issues and whether they originated on your father’s or mother’s side.
Of more importance, this kind of test show you the types of foods your metabolism likes and those it rejects. For allergies, in particular, finding out whether your issue is genetic can help you find a solution effectively.
There are several companies that offer body metabolism-related DNA tests. They offer different kinds of results. Nutrisystem DNA test, for instance, provides a comprehensive list of foods your body agrees and disagrees with. DNA fit, on the other hand, is designed to work as a fitness plan, directing you on the meals to consume and exercises to follow.
Deep, Family-breaking Secrets
Your Chinese ancestry is certainly linked to your family’s lineage. But in an attempt to find out about this fact with a DNA testing service, you may get results that no one ever wanted in your family. Ever thought about the fact that you may be adopted? A DNA test may confirm or clear your doubts.
In the past ten years, DNA testing services have been breaking families apart all around the world. It’s the dark side of DNA services—and one you should think about before you use them. For most people, tests related to the paternal side are the major cause of problems.
From learning that your “dad” isn’t your father to finding out about half-brothers you never knew before, be prepared for surprises. All your family’s dark secrets can come out open in a matter of seconds. Of course, how you react and how your relatives react to the news is what can determine what happens next. So, be prepared to reveal family secrets and how to handle them when that happens.
Traces of Foreign Ancestors
DNA testing services go beyond your Chinese ancestry. The moment receives your results back from a testing company, be prepared to learn a broad detail of where your relatives came from. You get to learn about your European ancestry. If you have some African heritage, all the data is revealed to you.
In essence, DNA testing services confirm the percentage of your genealogy is really Chinese. You can’t do a lot about the results but you are educated better about your ancestry. If you’ve always suspected you were a little bit Vietnamese, your doubts are cleared.
Take note that while the tests reveal a lot about your ancestry and health, they can’t predict exactly what your children will become. They can’t say what sports they will be good at or whether they will be good singers. As such, only use the tests to trace your ancestry and health-related information.
To Conclude
Learning about your Chinese ancestry has never been this easy. You get a tool kit with a mouth swab to help collect a sample of your saliva. Send it back to the labs and wait for results. Once they are back, everything you’ve always wanted to know about your ancestry is brought to light. The services cost less than 100 yen. If you ever want to clear your doubts, go ahead.
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