23 Reasons & More
There is the infamous philosophical saying from Renee Descartes “Cotigo, ergo Sum” which translates to “I think therefore I am”, however, in this instance it’s “my DNA mutated, therefore I am”. It doesn’t roll of the tongue quite as well though, does it? The scientific development of DNA testing is still in it’s teething phase, nonetheless, I was pleasantly surprised to find that when I was searching for my ancestorial background, I was given vital information about my health.
Not only did 23 & Me tell me I was 0.01% Greek, it informed me that I did not have the dreaded BRCA genes, which drastically increases your likelihood of developing certain cancers associated with the female anatomy. Additionally, It told me that I was likely to develop type 2 diabetes later on in life and so much more genetic information. Some people would find this terrifying but personally, I would rather know in advance and I will explain more further down.
This is not a sponsored post for 23 & Me, I promise, I really do think it is a fantastic development for our future. I believe that this is the first stages of human healthcare becoming immaculately accurate and at our fingertips. I truly believe this is the future of diagnosis, prevention and prescriptions, the possibilities are endless. I would guess that within this decade we will be able to get the antidote to the majority of illnesses and diseases with just a aid of an app. If you’re still not convinced, I did the test over 2 years ago and I’m still receiving new updates on my genetics, just this morning, it informed me that I had a 6% likelihood of having psoriasis, when i get to the age of 80 and a whopping 56% change of developing Skin Cancer in my later years (something both my Grandfather and Grandmother suffered with). Where some would find this news devastating, I am just elated that I have the tools to be informed of this issue and prevent it as much as possible.
In addition to the app telling you what you are likely to suffer with, it also gives you a clear bullet pointed list of what you can do to either reduce the symptoms or prevent you from developing the illness at all. For example, if you have an increased chance of diabetes, it will advise increasing excessive and limiting certain food groups.
