I learned as much as possible about my family from my parents and grandparents. I had a maternal great-grandma who was supposedly full-blood Swedish. I also have lots of German and English on both sides of the family. My brother swears that my maiden name originated in Scotland, but I suspect it was probably England. My mother's maiden name is very obviously German. My paternal grandma says that we have English royal blood and my maternal grandma says we are somehow related to former President Hoover. The family mystery is one of my paternal great-grandmas, because she was adopted.
Web research on some family surnames turns up origins in Scotland, Germany, England, France, and Sweden.
So I sent in my DNA sample, and about 6 weeks later I got my results. The first thing that shows up is: "An estimated 2.7% of your DNA is from Neanderthals." Okay. The next thing is that I have some Ashkenazi Jewish DNA, which is a total surprise. Next is the results that "reflect where your ancestors lived 500 years ago, before ocean-crossing ships and airplanes came on the scene."
My ancestry composition is:
98.9% European:
Northern European
4.2% British and Irish
.8% Scandinavian
.6% French and German
.3% Finnish
73.9% Nonspecific Northern European
1.3% Ashkenazi
17.8% Nonspecific European
.6% Sub-Saharan African
.1% North African
.4% Unassigned
I am not totally satisfied with these results. I do not like all the "nonspecific" areas. I wanted more details, but my DNA is still on file for further testing and I will give it some time.
I feel that the results of the health aspect were more thorough, and I got some useful information. I'm at increased risk for Alzheimer's, breast cancer, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, colorectal cancer, glaucoma, melanoma, psoriasis, venous thromboembolism, and lupus. The Alzheimer's, psoriasis, and melanoma are twice the average. Also, 6.45 of my extra pounds are genetic. I have a decreased risk for rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson's, macular degeneration, type 1 diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, Crohn's Disease, Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and stomach cancer. I also found out that I am sensitive to Warfarin, which is a common blood thinner. I am also apparently a fast caffeine metabolizer, I have decreased odds of responding to Interferon treatment, and I have zero inherited conditions (mutations). Finally, I have increased episodic memory and increased sensitivity to pain.
This is all very interesting, and I am going to keep these results and share them with my kids when they are older. We are all 100% American, but America is a relatively new country and doesn't the old rhyme go, "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue?" Didn't we declare our independence in 1776? This country is full of people who immigrated from elsewhere within the last few centuries, and it's nice to know where my family is from.
