MyHeritage DNA || Review

You may have heard of them or even seen advertising for them. There are several brands out there that offer DNA kits where you can submit a sample of your own DNA and wait to get the results back. These results can tell you where all you're from. I've always wondered what percent of different ethnicities I may be, so I was stoked to get the chance to review MyHeritage DNA.

How It Works

 

1. Activate your kit online. Do NOT skip this step. It is necessary to get your results. Visit www.myheritageDNA.com/setup

2. Open the test kit and lay out the unopened swabs and vials on a clean surface.

3. Remove one cheek swab from its wrapper and use the swab head to scrape the inside of one of your cheeks, while rotating the swab, for 30-60 seconds.

4. Open one vial and insert the swab inside, swab-end down. Once the swab touches the bottom of the vial, break the swab against the inside edge of the vial at the marked black line, leaving the swab-end inside the liquid in the vial.

5. Close the vial cap tightly.

6. Swab your other cheek with the second swab. Insert the swab into the second vial, break the swab-end off at the marked line, and close the vial cap tightly.

7. Make sure the vial caps are closed tightly. Place both vials on the cotton pad in the clear plastic bag, and close the ziplock. Now, place the bag in the enclosed addressed envelope and seal the envelope.

8. Mail the envelope to our DNA lab (postage expense not included). Your results will be ready in 3-4 weeks once our DNA lab receives your sample. We will then send you an email to view your results online.

Within the first 2 weeks you will get an email from MyHeritage that your vials with saliva ethnicity test have arrived in the lab and after that it will take around another 3-4 weeks. You will be informed via email when your DNA ancestry results are ready to be viewed. And after your DNA analysis you might discover some surprises, like I did!

 

My Heritage DNA results

 

After viewing a little video presenting my ethnic origins and geographic regions I could look at my DNA results a little bit closer. Considering my father being born in Spain and my mother being born in Germany, I assumed the results might be 1/2 North and West European, just like 1/2 Iberian. As it turns out, my assumptions have been confirmed. Nevertheless, I have significant percentages of Italian, Greek but especially English ancestry. Now I’m left wondering where these genes came from? I guess there’s a lot about my family history that I don’t know!

                         

How I feel about it

So that’s my DNA, folks!

It’s a really weird feeling. I’m not sure why any of this should have any impact on my life, but I'm a pretty curious person, who wants to know about her roots and her history. Furthermore I think it’s really interesting to see how ancestors from centuries ago are still so present in your DNA.

Travel-wise, it also gave me a few ideas on adventures, I’d like to go on as soon as possible.

 

What is your opinion on genealogical DNA tests? Would you want to do a DNA test?  

Until next time… ciao!!