Today is DNA Day, and while every day at 23andMe is about DNA, this one is extra special because it allows everyone to delight in the power of DNA. Whether you are a 23andMe customer or just DNA curious, there is a lot you can do if you’d like to start or deepen your genetic journey and take action to participate in the new genomic age. We’ll get to that, but first, take a moment to learn —or refresh your knowledge — about what we’re celebrating. A Double Helix Celebration DNA Day commemorates the anniversary of the 1953 discovery of the double helix structure of DNA and the 2003 completion o ..read more

Maybe you didn’t know that April 23rd marks the 828th anniversary of the death of King Béla III of Hungary. Perhaps you know nothing about King Béla III, but you might want to, especially if you’re genetically related to this monarch from the Middle Ages. King Béla III was one of the most prominent rulers of the Kingdom of Hungary during the Árpád dynasty (1001–1301 CE). More than that, he left a legacy for legal and educational reforms that endured after his death.  Historical Matches Marking the anniversary, 23andMe is updating Historical MatchesSM, our new 23andMe+ Premium membership ..read more

As part of National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month, 23andMe is joining other voices in April to raise awareness.  By sharing insights with our customers about cancer risk, we aim to highlight the importance of knowing one’s family health history, getting appropriate cancer screenings, and understanding the role of genetics and lifestyle in cancer risk. “Probably the most important thing 23andMe does is help people understand whether they have an increased likelihood of cancer based on their genetics, often information that they would not have known otherwise,” said Noura Abu ..read more

23andMe’s Paternal Haplogroup Report describes the genetic line connecting you to your father, his father, and beyond. This blog post describes some of the science behind the report and announces that we have updated our paternal haplogroup assignments to improve accuracy. Overview To identify the paternal haplogroup of each male customer, 23andMe uses our “Yhaplo” program, which relies on Y-chromosome variation data curated by the International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG). In the years since we first developed Yhaplo, ISOGG has updated various entries, leading to incorrect (but clos ..read more

Cancer casts its shadow on almost all of us. Whether we’re facing our own diagnosis or that of a spouse, a parent, a child, a friend, or another loved one, we can muster the courage we need in those moments by knowing we are not alone. Beat Cancer We at 23andMe are encouraged by the White House’s recent designation of April as National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month to rally support for those affected and their families and highlight the importance of prevention and screening. But beyond simply naming the month, this is part of a collective effort to raise awareness that includes ..read more

In one of the largest studies of its kind, a team of researchers led by scientists at UC San Diego found that genetic variants known to be protective against alcohol use disorder and excessive drinking were also associated with numerous health outcomes, many having nothing to do with drinking.  Published in Lancet eBioMedicine, the study included data from more than three million 23andMe customers from diverse populations who’d consented to participate in research.  Metabolizing Alcohol The work builds on the ongoing research by the team at UCSD, which has previously looked at genet ..read more

Agnes Jackson lives in Hagerstown, Maryland, near her four daughters and about 20 miles from the Catoctin Furnace, a historic site.  This long-ago shuttered iron smelter is one of the earliest industrial sites in the United States. The old iron furnace is on the edge of the Catoctin Mountain National Park, a verdant open space blanketed in forest and lined with hiking trails along the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. An Iron Furnace The beauty of the place belies the brutal conditions that once made up the day-to-day lives of the free and enslaved African Americans who lived and worked ..read more

Are you distantly related to the legendary, like the great musical genius Ludwig Van Beethoven? Perhaps you are genetically related to a high-status Viking woman from the 9th century who was buried in an ornate coffin with ornaments made of copper and a comb made from antlers? Maybe you’re linked to an African female Hunter-Gatherer buried with her bow and arrow and an ivory armband or a Caquetio man found with shards of decorated pottery at a site in Curaçao that dates back to before the first colonizers arrived in the Americas. Woven into our DNA is a history thread linking us to our relati ..read more

New reports give more personalized and accurate results by incorporating genetic ancestry as a continuous spectrum instead of grouping customers into ancestry categories. The question looks so simple, just four words: “What is your race?” We see it on forms seemingly everywhere we go — at the doctor’s office, work, and school. But the question’s simplicity belies the deep complexity of racial, ethnic, and ancestral origins. In the 2020 Census, over 10 percent of the United States population identified as multiracial. Similarly, at 23andMe, we found that many consented 23andMe research partici ..read more

By Mikala Evans, MPH Welcome to “Mind Body Wellness,” a column that aims to help you develop a deeper understanding of your health.  Mikala Evans, MPH With genetics in mind, I’m tackling common topics and breaking down issues that impact your health journey. With so much information coming at us daily, it’s hard to know what’s best for our health and what we should ignore. Is red wine good for you, or should you never touch alcohol? And what on earth is acetaldehyde? Navigating all of this information can be exhausting. My name is Mikala, and I’m here to be your guide. I don’t mind sifti ..read more