Consumer based genetic reporting tools offer information about possible vitamin deficiencies. Since these genetic reports are in their infancy it makes sense to try and verify some of the claims before starting a new vitamin regiment. We will compare the results from various genetic reporting engines with blood test results and see if there is any consensus.

• 23andMe – snail mail genetic saliva test
• DNAFit – third party genetic reporting site, processes 23andMe raw data
• Athletigen – third party genetic reporting site, processes 23andMe raw data
• Promethease – third party genetic reporting site, processes 23andMe raw data
• Nutrahacker – third party genetic reporting site, processes 23andMe raw data
• Blood Chemistry Calculator – on-line blood testing with machine learning interpretation

I found that all four genetic reports came to similar conclusions. I should be supplementing with some B-vitamins (B2, B6, B9 and B12), vitamin-D plus the major antioxidants vitamin-A, vitamin-E and vitamin-C. Let’s see how this compares with my last Blood Chemistry Calculator results.

The Blood Chemistry Calculator test had no access to my DNA results. The blood test confirmed that my B6, B9 (folate), B12 and vitamin-C were indeed deficient just as the DNA reports had predicted. Digging a bit deeper into blood test results I was able to see some vitamin deficiencies that were not flagged in the genetic reports such as selenium, vitamin-E and vitamin-A.

Comparing DNA results with a blood test has helped me reduce my supplements and make adjustments to my diet. Now I take a B complex vitamin, get some sun, eat a brazil nut each day and have two microdoses of vitamin-C each day. I also make an effort to eat more foods rich in vitamin-A and vitamin-E. I take supplements for what I am genetically bad at and eat foods rich in what I should be able to process (eg. carrots for vitamin-A).