'The best money I have ever spent': 23andMe has plenty to teach you about your ancestry—plus it's $70 off

Anne Mandler

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23andMe. (Photo: 23andMe)
23andMe. (Photo: 23andMe)

The hottest trend in wellness right now is, believe it or not…..information. What? Yup: The more details you have about your own body—from insight into your DNA to data on sleep—the more targeted and effective you can be in taking care of yourself. While wearable tech is a useful advance in the epic quest for wellness, genome testing takes things to a whole another level. That’s why a gift from the ancestry-research company 23andMe—for yourself or a loved one—is so valuable.

23andMe, as you probably know, is the wildly popular DNA home-test company. It sells a simple kit that yields complex results about ancestry and more. Though many fans of the service talk about the thrill of discovery (unknown ethnic origins—even surprise relatives!), 23andMe also can alert you to important personal health info.

With nothing but a saliva sample, easily collected with its kit, 23andMe can give you 90 DNA-based online reports on health predispositions, carrier status, and wellness. This the kind of data that can help you adjust your lifestyle choices—diet, exercise—to best support your body.

This deep dive into wellness (which also includes a thorough ancestry analysis) is called 23andMe DNA Test - Health + Ancestry Personal Genetic Service and is $70 off on Amazon for a limited time.

23andMe can help you understand how your body works based on genetics. (Photo: 23andMe)
23andMe can help you understand how your body works based on genetics. (Photo: 23andMe)

Shop it: 23andMe DNA Test - Health + Ancestry Personal Genetic Service, $129 (was $199), amazon.com

Wellness aside, 23andMe is so appealing—and makes such a great gift—because it offers dynamic insight into your ethnic makeup. It can solve mysteries and raise questions. And because you share DNA with your siblings, 23andMe can bring family members together in deep, enthusiastic discussion.

If you’re not so interested in the health and wellness aspect, you can get all the ancestry dirt for $20 less. 23andMe Ancestry + Traits Service: Personal Genetic DNA Test with 1500+ Geographic Regions, Family Tree, DNA Relative Finder, and Trait Reports is just $79.

Says one thrilled reviewer: “I had been searching for my biological family for years. Within a week of getting results I found my half-sister and grandmother, which after finding them I found everyone else.... this product is amazing.”

23andMe can open cans of worms for sure. Said one 23andMe Ancestry + Traits Service: “I was looking for Cooper when I found my third cousin MARRIED to Cooper. A total coincidence. Because of her patience we discovered that we are related through the White family. Before I was eight I lived less that 1/2 a mile from her on a nearby street. My father never realized that we were related. The family owns a log cabin in a neighboring home that has become a historical monument. Her sister met my father when he toured a local museum with a friend. Both women are historians. The tool and graphic allows you to see the proximal recent ancestor that was the key. Regional DNA is important. 200 years of building a community kept our families intact.”

With 23andMe, you pinpoint different ethnicities down to the generation. (Photo: 23andMe)
With 23andMe, you pinpoint different ethnicities down to the generation. (Photo: 23andMe)

Shop it: 23andMe DNA Test - Health + Ancestry Personal Genetic Service, $129 (was $199), amazon.com

It also helped reviewers piece together bits of a story they otherwise wouldn’t have ever known.

“Being adopted, I never dreamed in a million years that I would ever be able to find out who my birth parents were. Closed adoption records have kept so many from finding out about their roots & their history. Somehow, I now feel like I am part of a much bigger world. Thank you, 23andMe for giving people like me a chance to find out our ancestry, our history and a part of our lives that we thought we didn't have the right to ever know about.”

This time of year, many gifts claim to be fun for the whole family, but this one truly is. Fun, important, and potentially enlightening. Take advantage of this sale and give the gift of 23andMe right now. You’re guaranteed some excitement, some knowledge, and a whole lot to talk about with the fam.

Shop it: 23andMe DNA Test - Health + Ancestry Personal Genetic Service, $129 (was $199), amazon.com

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.

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