News

Actions

Who are you: New in-home DNA testing unlocks family secrets

Posted at 12:00 AM, Feb 04, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-06 22:46:01-05

photoalbumNORFOLK, Va. – We all come from somewhere in this great big world. But, how many of us really know just where that “somewhere” is?

For my mother’s side of the family, it’s Italy and France. Growing up, there was always great cooking in our home. And that Italian temper, as my grandma would call it, was fierce!

But, that’s just half of my story.

I’ve never known my father’s side of the family. Where were they from? What about their past makes me the man I am? Could they account for my blue eyes and fair skin?

Enter companies like 23andMe, which offer in-home DNA testing. With just a few clicks and a few weeks of waiting, parts of your past can be unlocked.

“We do find that quite often that customers find surprising results in their ancestry.”, says 23andMe’s Andy Kill.

Services like this one can do more than satisfy curiosity about your past. They also provide a glimpse into your future.

“It can also give you information on things that can inform your lifestyle, Like sleep, diet, whether or not you may be lactose intolerant, muscle composition, how well you respond to certain types of exercise.”, Kill adds.

That sometimes includes vital health information some families with adopted children may not normally have access to.

Monday night on News 3 at 11, watch as I reveal big surprises about my family’s history. Plus, learn how services like this one are reuniting long-lost family members from across the country.