DNA Test Kit: Health + Ancestry Personal Genetic Reports

I don't usually write reviews, but when I'm excited by a product, I'm happy to do that! As a supplement fanatic, which can waste HOURS in the aisles of different supplements stores, I was very excited to find about Vitagene. I already gave a try to other companies like 23andme and wanted to check if I can get better insights into my health. In other products, I got very general assumptions and those were good but not good enough for me, I needed more guidance and in-depth recommendation on how to actually use the data that's based on my DNA.To my surprise, Vitagene provides a handful of data points and recommendation that you can actually use to reach your goals. Here are some of my takeaways:1. The first experience - I got this box in 1-day with free delivery fees (thanks, Amazon Prime!). In oppose to other services, they ask you to swab inside your cheeks - I find it way easier and simpler than spitting tons of saliva to a vial. Before sending back the DNA samples, I activated my account and once completed, you send the DNA samples back (for free) to their lab.2. Supplements - this is a big one. Based on my DNA and the questionnaire they tailored different recommended supplements, which makes it very unique and exciting for me since I never had any supplements personalized specifically for me. It's like getting the VIP treatment.3. Dietary recommendation - As a vegan, I searched the internet for DAYS to find a good dietary plan, especially when I do intense workouts. What a great surprise to see many menu options based on my DNA and lifestyle - that's incredible. Only for these menu recommendations, I would pay for a nutritionist double than what I paid for the Vitagene product.4. Skin type recommendation - that's like a bonus for me. Instead of going to a skin doctor or someone at a cosmetic store to recommend me about products that fit my skin type, I get an accurate overview of my skin type, potential, and others. Now I can do my market research for creams and other products while being more knowledgeable.5. Ancestry report - it's similar to other services, in my honest opinion, I already know where my ancestors came from, so that part was less important for me. I was more excited about the health benefits that you can get using this service rather than anything else.If you care about your health and want to personalize your supplements consumption and dietary routine based on your DNA - this is the only service in the market that provides high-quality reports AND solutions all in one. Great idea and execution! Will continue with my supplement subscription as I find it more cost-effective with better quality than what I used to have before Vitagene.

Not worth the money. THE DESCRIPTION IS NOT ACCURATE. It does not provide the details pictured. Even though it's less expensive to use than other two prominent ones--you get virtually nothing with Vitagene except them trying to sell you supplements. I got more supplements suggested than information to back them up. AND they didn't even use the two genes most commonly discussed in research about body weight/obesity/exercise. It makes no sense. The kind of stuff it told me: how I metabolize alcohol, caffeine, and that I may or may not do well with dairy and gluten and a couple of generic exercise details, but nothing clearly related to a specific gene. Also the ancestry data is as generic as what I could guess on my own--even more so actually. I could gauge more from a family tree than this. Whereas you learn if you have the gene linked with celiac with 23andme and get further breakdowns on ancestry with both the other two big providers--you can even connect with living relatives if you choose to. I wasn't focused on ancestry which is why I chose this one, so I expected it to be heavily detailed in relation to health based on how it describes itself, but it's just not worth the money. So it gets one star--when I'd rather give 0--for me throwing away $80, when I could have used that towards one of the better brands.

As a knowledge junkie, I had already taken the Ancestry DNA test and run that through Prometheus to see my health data before I bought the Vitagene test set. What intrigued me the most about Vitagene and is unique in the DNA test world is its ability to bridge your ancestry information with your health. How does where we come from affect our diet and longevity? Plus this kit was an easy cheek-swab test, so why not, right?Though this kit didn’t exactly give me the key to the “fountain of youth,” it did give me really valuable insights into my health and how I should alter my current diet and exercise routine to live my best life. For example, I now can see how I metabolize caffeine, carbs and fat (hint: keto life isn’t for me), and I have finally solved my diet dilemma: am I affected by lactose or gluten? Solved! I also really appreciate that they give example meal plans based on the information they gave me. It can be a lot to “digest” all at once, but the online format makes it really easy to understand.The supplement recommendation section was actually very empowering. I had already done quite a bit of research on my own about what supplements I should be taking and seeing that Vitagene recommends what I’ve been taking is really reaffirming. They even recommended one additional supplement which I’m excited to try out. Yay. ☺ The genetic traits report is also very interesting. I have always had dry skin and have taken omegas to try to help, but it never seemed to do much good. The report shows that I am naturally getting the omegas I need from my diet and that a supplement in vitamin E might be better for me. Interesting!The genetic traits section has the most interesting information on exercise; I’ve included a few screenshots. What mine shows is that I am likely to exercise more often and, though I have low ability to build muscle and am highly likely to be sore from exercise, “power and endurance” exercises will be effective for me when trying to lose weight. Neat.Overall, I’m very happy with the test results and am excited to test their recommendations. I think my family would find these really interesting as well -- I’m interested to see if my siblings have similar or very different diet/health recommendations since we are all very different looking. I wonder if at the core we are all the same. There might be some Vitagene kits in their stockings this year. ☺