As part of an ongoing series, the CNN Underscored team showcases outstanding deals you can shop right now on the CNN Store. Each week, our staff chooses a product to feature that we think you’ll love. This week, we’re highlighting Vitagene Premium Health DNA Kit + Ancestry DNA Test ($99, originally $139; store.cnn.com).
Fad diets aren’t as one-size-fits-all as they seem. Many factors play a role in which diet and lifestyle changes are right for you, including your food tolerances and sensitivity, metabolism, overall activity levels and macronutrient percentages.
Recently, personalized nutrition testing services have surged in popularity, as dieters look to become smarter about how they revamp their lifestyles. These services aim to help users understand the direct and indirect effects their genes have on their overall health, whether by pinpointing possible reasons for a predisposition to weight gain or targeting which food groups could cause irritability or bloating.
The variety of at-home testing kits out there includes the Vitagene Premium Health DNA Kit + Ancestry DNA Test ($99, originally $139; store.cnn.com) and Vitagene DNA Ancestry Test Kit + Personalized Health Plan ($79, originally $99; store.cnn.com). Plus you can save an additional $5 with code DNAKIT5. If you’ve ever taken a DNA test, you’ll find that Vitagene’s is a similar process. After ordering the kit, you’ll receive a box with instructions, vials and cheek swabs to collect your saliva. After your DNA is collected and you’ve shipped back your sample, you’ll receive a personalized report you can access online. This report includes your global ancestry breakdown, with an interactive map showing where your ancestors lived across the world, as well as regional percentages that make up your DNA. This is all in addition to the health assessment the test offers.
Vitagene will recommend food choices, meal plans, tailored macronutrient percentages and even an ideal workout frequency for you based on your results. The health reports also come with information on what common conditions you might be genetically at risk for, as well as gluten sensitivity information. The goal is to help you make more informed decisions about the food you’re eating and the type of exercise you’re doing, so you can keep your body running at 100%.
It is important to note that according to experts, there are limits to what these types of DNA tests can reveal, so they should never be considered as a complete health assessment. And major lifestyle changes are always best made in consultation with your physician.
That being said, these tests do still have value in the fact that they let you take a step back and start to realize how to build a holistically healthy lifestyle, one that includes nourishing foods and healthful exercise. And considering that many DNA tests that offer health assessments in addition to ancestry mapping cost well above $99, we think it’s a steal.
