At-home DNA test kits have come a long way and its results have grown to include everything from your ancestry composition, to food sensitivities, optimal diet and nutrition, fitness, sleep habits, pollution and drug response, disease risks, skin assessment, and even personality traits.
With the rise in DNA testing and the valuable knowledge it can uncover, I was determined to find out more about my diet and fitness, as well as my ancestry, given that I’m Eurasian. I figured my ancestral makeup would be quite fascinating with one parent being Swiss and one Malaysian.
TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR OWN HEALTH WITH DNA TESTING
Hailed as one of the world’s most comprehensive DNA tests, the CircleDNA test kit did not disappoint. Founded by genetics and diagnostic health testing company Prenetics, the innovative and cutting-edge company is offering the most extensive and in-depth series of health-based DNA tests, empowering individuals to make lifestyle changes to live a healthier life, using valuable health insights obtained from just a single cheek swab.
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CHOOSE THE RIGHT CIRCLEDNA KIT
There are four options to choose from:
The Vital Kit (US$191) covers diet, nutrition, fitness, overall wellness, and ancestry.
The Health Kit (US$512) focuses on health and disease risks.
The Family Planning Kit (US$512) highlights genetic risks and hereditary conditions.
The Premium Kit (US$640) includes everything.
I opted for the Premium Kit to make the most of it and get the complete experience. It comes with a unique lifetime subscription, which means you can receive free updates whenever new features are introduced down the line. Furthermore, the Premium Kit also comes with a complimentary 30-minute Health Coaching session and a 30-minute Genetic Counselling consultation to explain everything. The other three kits only come with one of them.
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HOW TO DO THE TEST
After opening the sleek matte black box, I was pleasantly surprised that the swab, vial, collection bag and envelope are all you need to complete the test. The process of collecting your DNA sample is straightforward and effortless.
The first step is to register and create an account on the CircleDNA app. This is essential, as this is where your results will appear. Then you simply swab the inside of your cheeks, put the swab inside the designated vial with liquid, slide it into the little bag and place it in the CircleDNA-provided envelope. The company works with SF Express to collect its test kits at no additional cost, so all you have to do is arrange a free pick-up via the app and then wait for the DNA test results. It only takes about 18 days for the results to come back.
All results are processed at CircleDNA’s internationally accredited laboratory. Your DNA will never be sold or rented to a third party. Only you can decide if and how your results are shared with others.
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MY CIRCLEDNA RESULTS
The results in the app are split into key categories, including Diet & Lifestyle, Ancestry, Family Planning, Disease Detection, Health Risks and more. While the results are overly fascinating and insightful, the information can also be a little overwhelming, so be sure to book your one-on-one consultations with a health coach and genetics counsellor.
ANCESTRY COMPOSITION
Even though I was mostly looking forward to the results on fitness health, as well as food sensitivity and nutrition to adjust my diet and lifestyle, the biggest surprise and best piece of information was actually my ancestry composition.
Even though my mother’s side of the family is Swiss, there was actually 0% indication of that (Germany, France, Britain etc). Instead, my European heritage (21%) was actually made up of Northern Europe (Finland etc), Eastern Europe (Russia, Hungary etc), and Southern Europe (Spain, Italy, Greece, Balkan etc).
My Southeast Asian heritage (19%) with my father’s Malaysian-Chinese background makes sense, but my East Asian heritage (33%) is predominantly made up of Northern Minorities from Inner Mongolia.
But the biggest surprise out of everything was without a doubt my Middle Eastern heritage, which makes up a whopping 27%. I was completely unaware of the fact that there was a lineage leading back to the Middle East. How amazing is that?!
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
I was incredibly impressed with the detailed information CircleDNA offers with its report, from highlighting the fact that I have a high salt and spice sensitivity (which is super accurate) to letting me know that I need more vitamin D (very accurate), and that I have a very low lactate clearance, which quickly leads to muscle fatigue when working out (also very accurate).
However, the most interesting piece of information was that I am extremely sensitive to second-hand smoke, and that my toxin generation speed is increased, meaning that my body generates higher amounts of potentially harmful chemicals from smoked foods, such as red meat at high temperature. Luckily, I have erased red meat from my diet long time ago. Also, I have a higher need for cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, etc) to detox the body. I found this all to be very accurate and simply confirming what I had already suspected.
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All in all, CircleDNA is a great starting point for anyone who is serious about wanting to improve their health and wellness. CircleDNA definitely removes some of the guesswork when trying to make lifestyle changes, allowing you to make more strategic decisions that will lead to better health.
I’ve already started to apply some of the gained knowledge to my current diet, and I’ll definitely continue making changes to my lifestyle based on CircleDNA’s recommendations. I have no doubt I’ll see a positive impact in my overall wellbeing.
Do you want to try one of the CircleDNA testing kits for yourself?
