One day for <a href="https://internationalcoffeeday.org/">International Coffee Day</a> doesn’t seem good enough, but we’ll take it and look at how your genetics plays a role in <a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/wellness/caffeine-consumption/">caffeine consumption</a>.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/CaffeineConsumption-300x300.png" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26589" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/CaffeineConsumption-300x300.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/CaffeineConsumption-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/CaffeineConsumption-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/CaffeineConsumption-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/CaffeineConsumption-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/CaffeineConsumption.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Using data from other customers who consent to participate in research and customer’s genetics, 23andMe is able to report on the likelihood that you drink more or less than the average amount of caffeine. The role genetics play is based on a variant near two genes that play a role in how your body metabolizes caffeine. The gene CYP1A2 is involved with how your body breaks down the caffeine in coffee, and another gene, AHR, influences how CYP1A2 responds. Together these two genes affect how quickly the caffeine moves through your system.
There are other factors involved in why you may or may not drink more coffee or tea — or none at all — each morning than the average Joe. Culture certainly plays a role.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Reports-Wellness-About-Caff-Consumption.png" alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-23243" width="2168" height="1324" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Reports-Wellness-About-Caff-Consumption.png 2168w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Reports-Wellness-About-Caff-Consumption-300x183.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Reports-Wellness-About-Caff-Consumption-768x469.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Reports-Wellness-About-Caff-Consumption-1024x625.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Reports-Wellness-About-Caff-Consumption-880x537.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Reports-Wellness-About-Caff-Consumption-1180x721.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2168px) 100vw, 2168px" />

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Happy International Coffee Day

A Korean adoptee living in Tennessee as a kid, Ben rarely saw kids that looked like him.
<div id="attachment_26561" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26561" class="size-medium wp-image-26561" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Pickler-Ben-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Pickler-Ben-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Pickler-Ben.jpg 750w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Pickler &amp; Ben Host Kellie Pickler (left), with Ben and his brother Jeff, and Host Ben Aaron.</div>
“Growing up, I knew very few Asians, let alone Koreans, and always wondered if I actually still had family somewhere in this world,” said the 29-year-old Air Force sergeant.
He was happy and felt fortunate to have been adopted by such a loving family, but he always wondered.

Several hundred miles away, Jeff, now a 27-year-old public relations man, had been going through the same thing.
While his parents sent him to a Korean school each Saturday to try and keep him connected to his Korean ancestry, Jeff wondered about his origins.
“It may sound trivial, but I&#8217;ve never met someone who resembles me,” he said.
That all changed after the two men — half brothers — connected using 23andMe.
“By some weird chance, we joined 23andMe within a year of each other,” Jeff said.
Connected using 23andMe, the two emailed, texted, and talked on the phone, but they hadn’t met in person until this September when the talk show Pickler &amp; Ben brought them into the studio.
Check out their story <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFcZp2tktbk&amp;feature=youtu.be">here</a>.
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23andMe Connects Brothers

23andMe is built on science — both the genetic science behind the health and ancestry reports we provide to our customers, as well as the cutting edge science that is part of our research.
To ensure that our customers can easily see how their contributions are making a difference, 23andMe has added a new<a href="https://you.23andme.com/research/"> Research Overview page</a>, which will roll out to customers over the next few weeks. On the page, customers can see in one place the latest surveys, new studies and data on how customers are participating in research.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Research-Overview-1024x485.png" alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-26547" width="1024" height="485" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Research-Overview-1024x485.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Research-Overview-300x142.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Research-Overview-768x364.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Research-Overview-880x417.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Research-Overview-1180x559.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> 
More than 80 percent of 23andMe’s customers choose to participate in research, and their contributions have helped studies looking at the genetics of Parkinson’s disease, lupus, asthma and more.
Customers will also see highlights on the latest papers in which aggregated data from 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research helped make a difference. Since our first paper in 2010 we’ve published<a href="https://research.23andme.com/publications/#publications"> more than 100 papers</a> including recent breakthrough research on<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/massive-study-on-the-genetics-of-educational-attainment/"> educational attainment</a> and<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/massive-new-study-finds-shared-genetic-basis-for-psychiatric-disorders/"> psychiatric disorders</a>. Customers will also find links to surveys, research related videos, and answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about how we do science and what participating means.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Surveys-273x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26549" width="273" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Surveys-273x300.jpg 273w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Surveys-768x844.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Surveys-932x1024.jpg 932w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Surveys-801x880.jpg 801w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Surveys.jpg 972w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 273px) 100vw, 273px" />
Navigating from this page, customers can easily find and change their consent, if they choose. Customers typically decide whether to opt-in to participate in research when they first set up their account, but they can change their consent at any time without it impact their experience.  A customer can also go to surveys they’ve completed to edit or change previous answers they’ve provided. They can view all 23andMe&#8217;s surveys, and see the research questions they yet to answer.
23andMe’s mission has always been to help people access, understand and benefit from the human genome. Our science and research are integral to that work, and we want to ensure that we share what we do and how our customers’ contributions are making a difference.
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23andMe’s New Research Overview Page

We&#8217;re reprinting this interview with Paul Cannon, Ph.D, about treatment for his Parkinson&#8217;s as well as updates on 23andMe&#8217;s research, that was put together by <a href="https://tmrwedition.com/my-pd-journey/">Tomorrow Edition blogger Benjamin Stecher.</a>
<div id="attachment_22380" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22380" class="size-medium wp-image-22380" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-300x235.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="235" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-300x235.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-768x602.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-1024x802.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-880x689.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul-1180x924.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/paul.jpg 2016w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Paul Cannon, Ph.D., 23andMe&#8217;s Parkinson&#8217;s Research Community manager.</div>
Paul, who took the helm of 23andMe&#8217;s research community in 2014, shared with Ben decision to undergo surgery for Deep Brain Stimulation, as a way to treat his Parkinson&#8217;s symptoms.  Below is an excerpt from the interview, or see the full article <a href="https://tmrwedition.com/2018/09/15/interview-with-23andmes-dr-paul-cannon/">here</a>.
<h2>You very recently underwent Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery, how did you come to that decision?</h2>
So obviously it is not a decision to be made lightly, it is brain surgery. I have always had a good response to Sinemet (the primary drug used for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease), but in the last year or so I had been having more severe fluctuations in my response to the drug. That was what essentially moved me towards going through with DBS. I made the decision earlier this year and scheduled the procedure for the summer when the chances of getting a cold or an infection that might interrupt the procedure were diminished. I had the surgery just over three weeks ago.
<h2>What were some of your biggest reservations that went into that decision?</h2>
Well it is a fairly invasive and long procedure. I was awake for parts of it, which is an interesting experience. Also I’m very interested in the closed-loop technology that is being developed for DBS, hopefully the equipment that I got could be adapted to that later. The stimulator itself can be changed, but the electrodes you probably get for life.
<h2>Was there any hesitancy around the fact that many clinical trials list DBS as one of their exclusion criteria?</h2>
That is fairly common, but most disease modifying trials mainly target earlier stage patients. I was diagnosed seven and a half years ago and was symptomatic a good number of years before that, so I would probably be ineligible for many of them anyway.
<h2>What was the day of the surgery itself like?</h2>
The day before the surgery I had my head shaved and they put five screws into my head followed by a CT scan to help position the brain when I was in the operating theater. The next morning I went in for the first procedure to implant the electrodes. I was awake when they put the electrodes into the brain and they listen to the activity of your brain as an indication that they are in the right region. Then they apply a number of stimuli via the electrode and test for impact on motor symptoms (I was off PD medication) as well as speech. They did one side and then the other. I went home the next day with the wires implanted but without the stimulator and battery put in, that was done the following week and was a straight-forward outpatient surgery. I am getting the device turned on and programmed for the first time this week, some 5 weeks after the initial surgery. The reason for the delay between the two is that there is a micro-lesion effect where actually having the surgery itself improves the symptoms. Over time that wears off. I am now back to my regular medication.
<h2>What is it like to be awake while somebody is fiddling around inside your brain?</h2>
It is a little disconcerting I must say, more stressful than I anticipated. The operating staff were great and helped me manage anxiety. They put you to sleep at first and then wake you up once the electrodes are ready to be inserted. I did hear and feel suction at the back of my head, I also had a headache that came up during the procedure. Otherwise it is just lying on your back trying not to think about what is going on behind you. You then go through a simple set of tests as they turn on the stimulation. It takes a couple of hours to do both sides. They then put you back to sleep, sew you up and you wake up a couple hours later.
<h2>Was there anything surprising or unexpected about the surgery?</h2>
I felt pretty good the next day. Though the surgery was tough, once I was in recovery there was very little pain associated with it and very few side effects from it.
One other thing I would stress is from some of the data that has come in recently. DBS used to be reserved more for people in an advanced state. But we are seeing it being done more in younger people and at an earlier state because when you are younger you are more able to withstand the surgical procedure and the associated stress. <a href="https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/779416">There is data</a> that indicates that there is more benefit to having it done earlier and is <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0159340">more cost-effective</a>.
<h2>Moving into your day job, could you give a little background about 23andMe’s involvement with Parkinson’s disease?</h2>
23andMe is a direct to consumer genetics company with a long standing interest in PD. The PD community project was launched over nine years ago. We have been working closely with The Michael J. Fox Foundation and others to build up a sizeable genotyped and broadly phenotyped cohort of people with self-reported PD. Some of the more interesting data in that cohort comes from the self-reported information that has not traditionally been directly associated with PD.
<h2>What have been some of the most surprising findings that have emerged from your time at 23andMe?</h2>
It is less the data and more just the engagement of people with the research process. A high percentage of people have been regularly engaged with what we do, especially in the disease cohorts. It has been impressive, inspiring and humbling at the same time. Without them, it would be much more difficult for us to look at how genetics, along with environmental data, can inform disease risk, progression and response to medication.
<h2>What can you tell us about 23andMe’s recent partnership with GlaxoSmithKline?</h2>
It covers a lot of disease areas to try and identify targets and treatments. In Parkinson’s specifically we are developing a joint program in the LRRK2 inhibitor area. It is very exciting because it brings both of our expertise together to learn from each other and develop better treatments.
<h2>What excites you most about the future of genetic research in PD?</h2>
I think study of PD genetics can lead us to a better understanding of the molecular underpinnings of this disease as well as the variability in presentation, progression and medication response. The question is how best to use that to inform new targets and predict individual treatment responses. We aren’t as interested in telling people if they are fast or slow progressors, what we want focus on now is can we help doctors decide which treatment regime is best for each individual. This will only become more important when truly disease modifying medications become available.
<h2>Could you talk about <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-30843-6.epdf?author_access_token=6AIDrNpmX-bB-r0HJ6kkx9RgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0OBDo5C1_bNghAuVIWDPVVHUk_9FUlokLX3X4Cnhrw5mDqB6Ai9Xi8en2aNX62p0H1yWK9A2ekzAcILwS0wQRTCRvQ62xucB0fc9oJ1frVbJw%3D%3D">a paper you authored</a> that was just released looking at combining genetic data with self-reported data?</h2>
It was a collaboration with Pfizer looking at people with specific genetic mutations and asking whether they differ in terms of self-reported phenotype data. The lack of objective symptom data was mentioned as a concern by one of the reviewers, however most healthcare data today is still self-reported, i.e. the doctor asks you how you feel and records it. In fact the phenotypes that we found associated with the specific mutations were consistent with those found by others in more traditional research cohorts, suggesting that self-reported data can reliably be used to support PD genetics research. But even when we do have objective biomarkers, the ultimate measures are still whether the patient feels and functions better.
Update from Paul on September 14th: “I went in yesterday to have the device turned on and programmed. Currently set at a low level of stimulation, whilst we taper off the dopamine replacement medication. But even at this level I notice a marked improvement in my ability to walk, especially in terms of arm swing etc. so I am hopeful of a very positive journey”

An Interview with 23andMe’s Parkinson’s disease program Manager Paul Cannon

Justin was only two when he was abandoned on the steps of a theater in Seoul, South Korea, while his five year-old sister, Renee, was found the next day at a market with a note in her pocket.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/siblings-2-300x269.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26535" width="300" height="269" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/siblings-2-300x269.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/siblings-2.jpg 480w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
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&#8220;This girl is an orphan,” the note read.
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The siblings wouldn’t see each other again for 34 years, reuniting half a world away using 23andMe.
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“We matched,” <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2018/09/oregon_adoptees_dna_test_leads.html">Justin told at the Oregonian</a>. “Out of one in a million. Maybe even more.”
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Justin was too young to even know he had a sister, while Renee never forgot that she had a younger brother, she just never thought they would see each other again.
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Take a moment to see the siblings reunite. Make sure you have a tissue handy.
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Siblings reunite using 23andMe

Spit, iHeartRadio’s newest Podcast with 23andMe is among the top podcasts for a reason.
<div id="attachment_26513" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26513" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/217_WesandAlex_JohnLegend_7_17_2018-300x200.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-26513 size-medium" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/217_WesandAlex_JohnLegend_7_17_2018-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/217_WesandAlex_JohnLegend_7_17_2018-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/217_WesandAlex_JohnLegend_7_17_2018-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/217_WesandAlex_JohnLegend_7_17_2018-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/217_WesandAlex_JohnLegend_7_17_2018-1180x787.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Anne Wojicicki, John Legend and Baratunde Thurston in conversation for the podcast Spit.</div>
Hosted by the writer, comedian and cultural critic,<a href="http://baratunde.com/"> Baratunde Thurston</a>, the four episodes so far offer unscripted conversations with an eclectic mix of artists, scientists, and thinkers, on how DNA testing is changing perspectives about identity, family, and race.
Listening to Spit feels a bit like eavesdropping on frank intimate conversations. Whether it’s<a href="https://www.johnlegend.com/"> John Legend</a> talking with 23andMe CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki about his ancestors who were slaves, or<a href="https://falloutboy.com/"> Fall Out Bo</a>y singer<a href="https://www.instagram.com/petewentz/"> Pete Wentz</a> speaking with Dr.<a href="http://www.genomes2people.org/about/director/"> Robert Green</a> of the Broad Institute, whether genetics is deterministic, the themes are wide-ranging and fascinating.
“Genetics is wild and interesting,” Wentz said during his free-flowing conversation with Dr. Green.
<div id="attachment_26512" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26512" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/KatherineTyler_PeteWentz_Spit_2018-3663-300x200.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-26512 size-medium" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/KatherineTyler_PeteWentz_Spit_2018-3663-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/KatherineTyler_PeteWentz_Spit_2018-3663-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/KatherineTyler_PeteWentz_Spit_2018-3663-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/KatherineTyler_PeteWentz_Spit_2018-3663-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/KatherineTyler_PeteWentz_Spit_2018-3663-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/KatherineTyler_PeteWentz_Spit_2018-3663.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Pete Wentz talking with Baratunde Thurston for the Podcast &#8211; Spit 2018. Photo: Katherine Tyler, for iHeart Radio</div>
Growing up in Middle America, Wentz, whose family originally came from Jamaica and has mixed Portuguese and Jewish roots, said he grew up feeling like “a mutt.” Learning more about his DNA would offer him a chance to explore his family’s origins.
“Since we have this technology why wouldn’t you want to find out?” Wentz said.
As a new parent, Wentz also was curious about the health side of testing and what a person could learn about risks or traits that they might pass on to their children.
People are empowered by the notion that they can learn about risk, said Dr. Green. But he added that there is a certain irony about genetic testing in that many go into this believing that genetics is somehow deterministic, but it’s not.
From his research, Green said one of the biggest comprehension hurdles for people in thinking about genetics is what risk and probability mean.
“That’s the change I see,” he said. “Removing the thinking that ‘you will get this’ to ‘you have a slightly higher or lower probability of getting this.’”
These kinds of surprises popped up in each of the podcasts.
<div id="attachment_26523" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26523" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/melissa_etheridge_podcast_20180620_077-300x200.jpg" alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-26523" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/melissa_etheridge_podcast_20180620_077-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/melissa_etheridge_podcast_20180620_077-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/melissa_etheridge_podcast_20180620_077-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/melissa_etheridge_podcast_20180620_077-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/melissa_etheridge_podcast_20180620_077-1180x787.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Musician Melissa Etheridge talking about family during Spit podcast. Photo: © Matthew Eisman for iHeartMedia. All Rights Reserved</div>
During the conversation between singer Melissa Etheridge, who has several adopted children, and filmmaker<a href="https://www.thankyouforcomingmovie.com/"> Sarah Lamm</a>, who just completed a film following her search for her sperm donor father, the two talked about family, and what that means.
&#8220;I think we&#8217;re going through this on a worldwide thing, this sort of blood idea, of blood and family, and mine and my tribe, and how that&#8217;s being blown apart by stuff like this,” said Etheridge. “The truth is family is family. You can make family. Family is love, that&#8217;s the bond we have. Blood is a whole other story. It&#8217;s interesting, it&#8217;s great, but it&#8217;s a whole thing.&#8221;
DNA testing can trigger all sorts of conversations, said Tracy Keim, 23andMe’s vice president of consumer marketing and brand.
“Topics like family, identity, race, and how we’re connected with the rest of the world are all influenced by DNA,” she said.
Last month we wrote about the<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/a-new-survey-on-attitudes-about-race-and-genetics/"> interesting conversation on race</a> between the singer<a href="https://www.wyclef.com/"> Wyclef Jean</a> and Northwestern University professor<a href="https://www.polisci.northwestern.edu/people/core-faculty/alvin-tillery.html"> Alvin Tillery</a>. Tillery shared his own harrowing story of surviving a lynching attempt as a 9 year-old in New Jersey in the 1980s. Working with 23andMe on<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/a-new-survey-on-attitudes-about-race-and-genetics/"> a recent survey</a>, Tillery is looking specifically at how DNA testing is impacting people’s perceptions of race. One f
<div id="attachment_26514" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26514" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/RachelKaplan_23andMeWyclefJean2018-5843-300x200.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-26514 size-medium" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/RachelKaplan_23andMeWyclefJean2018-5843-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/RachelKaplan_23andMeWyclefJean2018-5843-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/RachelKaplan_23andMeWyclefJean2018-5843-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/RachelKaplan_23andMeWyclefJean2018-5843-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/RachelKaplan_23andMeWyclefJean2018-5843-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/RachelKaplan_23andMeWyclefJean2018-5843.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Baratunde Thurston (left), Wyclef Jean and Al Tillery. Photo: Rachel Kaplan</div>inding from the study is that people have a much more nuanced understanding of race than Tillery thought they would.
Wyclef’s takeaway was that the science of DNA could help bring people together by emphasizing how much they have in common — humans are 99.5 percent similar genetically.
“We have so much more in common than you could even imagine,” he said.
We encourage you to have a listen to iHeartRadio’s Spit, with 23andMe. Below are the four episodes so far. There will be more to come. 
<ul>
<li>Episode 1: How Are We All Related, with John Legend and Anne Wojcicki</li>
<li>Episode 2: Does Race Really Exist Or Did We Create It, with Wyclef Jean and Alvin Tillery</li>
<li>Episode 3: What Does It Mean to Be “Family,” with Melissa Etheridge and Sara Lamm</li>
<li>Episode 4: How can science change the stories we’ve grown up with? Exploring Identity, with Pete Wentz and Dr. Green. </li>
</ul>

The Podcast Spit

Today is<a href="https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112sres550ats/pdf/BILLS-112sres550ats.pdf"> National Celiac Awareness Day</a>, meant to raise awareness of the about <a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/celiac-disease">three million Americans with celiac disease</a>, and most — like Charlie, a paleontologist and 23andMe customer — spend years not ever being diagnosed. 

Charlie recently shared <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QMp7MV-jwE">his story</a> with us, with the hope that we can raise awareness to those living with celiac.

 
<iframe loading="lazy" width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2QMp7MV-jwE" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">?</iframe>

Today is also significant because September 13th is the anniversary of the birth of<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Gee"> Dr. Samuel Gee</a> in 1839, who identified the link between the symptoms of celiac and diet. Despite his pioneering work more than a century ago, researchers are still trying to fully understand this severe autoimmune disease that can damage the small intestines and lead to the inability to absorb nutrients from food.

The condition, which runs in families, is challenging to diagnose and impacts about 1 percent of the population. While there is promising research on the disease, right now the only known treatment for celiac is a gluten-free diet. In part because of those dietary recommendations, celiac is sometimes confused with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, which impacts about <a href="https://www.beyondceliac.org/celiac-disease/non-celiac-gluten-sensitivity/">18 million Americans</a> or six times the number of individuals with celiac.

Last year, 23andMe began offering a genetic health risk report on<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/new-23andme-report-celiac-disease/"> celiac disease</a>* that looks at two genetic variants — rs2187668 and rs7454108 — that are linked to the HLA-DQ2.5 and HLA-DQ8 haplotypes. A haplotype is a group of genes inherited together from a single parent. People with one or both of these two haplotypes account for about 95 percent of all of celiac disease cases, so if you have celiac disease, it’s likely you have one of these variants.

But it’s important to note that having one of these variants doesn’t mean you will develop celiac disease. Although 15 to 30 percent of all people have one of these risk haplotypes, only about 3 percent of people with one of these haplotypes develop celiac disease. If you don’t have one of these haplotypes it is unlikely that you will develop celiac disease.

Here are some helpful links to find out more about celiac:

<ul>
<li><a href="https://celiac.org/">Celiac Disease Foundation</a></li>
<li><a href="https://nationalceliac.org/">National Celiac Association</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.beyondceliac.org/">Beyond Celiac</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.aoecs.org/">Association of European Coeliac Societies</a></li>
</ul>

*The Celiac Disease genetic health risk report (i) is indicated for reporting of the rs2187668 variant in the HLA-DQA1 gene, which tags the HLA-DQ2.5 haplotype; and the rs7454108 variant near the HLA-DQB1 gene, which tags the HLA-DQ8 haplotype, (ii) describes if a person has variants associated with an increased risk of developing celiac disease, and (iii) is most relevant for people of European descent.

Raising Awareness Of Celiac Disease

By Marybie Arias, 23andMe Intern 
23andMe welcomes Genetics Clubs in colleges across the country to an exclusive National Screening and Filmmaker Q&amp;A with Sarah Lamm, the director of the new documentary  <a href="https://www.thankyouforcomingmovie.com/">Thank You For Coming</a> set for October 2018. 
23andMe’s Genetics Club leaders are invited to host a free screening of the film at their college or university, giving a chance for fellow club members, students, and faculty to see the movie and participate in the discussion with Sarah. 
<div id="attachment_26503" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26503" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ThankYouForComing001jpg-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="size-large wp-image-26503" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ThankYouForComing001jpg-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ThankYouForComing001jpg-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ThankYouForComing001jpg-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ThankYouForComing001jpg-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ThankYouForComing001jpg-1180x787.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Filmmaker Sarah Lamm in a scene from her new documentary, Thank You For Coming.</div>
The hope is that club members can use this event as an opportunity to engage with their community and participate in a meaningful conversation about genetics.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.thankyouforcomingmovie.com/">Thank You For Coming</a> is a film about one woman’s journey to find her biological father after learning, at the age of 29, that she was donor-conceived. Part genealogical detective story and part comedy, the film offers a bittersweet meditation on the heartbreak of loss and the hope of friendship. Thank You For Coming tells a story about nature, nurture, and one woman&#8217;s desire to connect with her roots. Here is a link to the<a href="https://www.thankyouforcomingmovie.com/"> trailer</a> and more info.
&nbsp;
For this event, 23andMe will provide a free screening for your club as well as  marketing materials to help you spread the word in your university or local community college. 
&nbsp;
To participate all you need to do is sign up for a <a href="https://education.23andme.com/genetics-club/">23andMe Genetics Club</a> on your campus. Whether your interest is in biology, history or even film, as long as as you’re interested in exploring more about DNA you can sign up. To learn more go to  <a href="https://education.23andme.com/genetics-club/">https://education.23andme.com/genetics-club/</a>
&nbsp;
23andMe Genetics club mission is to empower U.S. college students to cultivate a deeper understanding of themselves through genetic information and be educated about the latest scientific research. 
Marybie is a 23andMe summer intern and a second-year student at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. She plans to transfer to the University of California at Berkeley or Santa Clara University next year and hopes to major in Business Administration.

Marybie Arias

23andMe Genetics Clubs Get Exclusive Screening of New Film

By Marybie Arias, 23andMe Intern
From birth, sisters, Marsann and Marsine have always stood out, and they’ve done it together. Born premature and in each others&#8217; arms these twins shared more than just a birthday, they a deep connection to their family history.
<div id="attachment_26500" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26500" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/DSC_0082-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="size-large wp-image-26500" width="1024" height="683" />Marsine (left) with her twin sister Marsann.</div>
&nbsp;
From an early age they were both drawn to family stories and talk of their ancestors, an interest they have been able to explore by using 23andMe’s ancestry features. 
&nbsp;
“We would try to hear the stories from the elders to get more information about other relatives,” said Marsann with her sister’s agreement. 
&nbsp;
That’s why they pulled out all the stops for a massive family reunion over the summer in Arizona. Over a weekend in late July, the sisters invited dozens of relatives — many of whom they found with the help of 23andMe ancestry features — to what can only be described as a gala reunion — complete with a red carpet, cameras, delicious food and multiple fun activities for the family. The twins spent months planning this the reunion and inviting their far-flung relatives to spend time with family. 
&nbsp;
“(It) really brought our family closer together, and gave the younger children some sense of connection to something greater, their identity,” said Marsine. 

The reunion was the product of years spent tracing their family history. The twins often worked using paper records, but they hit a dead end when tried to go back beyond 1850. It is something faced by many African American families trying to trace their ancestors who were sold into slavery. This dead end is what prompted the sisters to do a DNA test with 23andMe. They wanted to find additional relatives and trace their roots back to Africa. 
&nbsp;
Testing with 23andMe, and using the DNA Relatives tool, also offered the twins new family connections, and they got a few additional surprises along the way. 
They discovered that their grandmother was half Native American and half European, something they didn’t know. The sisters speculated that their grandmother likely hid her European ancestry in part because she married an African American man and in Alabama at that time, mixed marriages were not only illegal, but it could also put one’s life in danger. 
&nbsp;
Along with the shocking ancestry results, the twins matched with more than 1000 close and distant relatives on 23andMe DNA Relative tool. But the sisters went a step further than just matching with relatives through 23andMe, they insisted wanted more proof that they were related, using paper records when they could find them or taping their mother. And once they made confirmations, they often took steps to meet the newly found family members. 
&nbsp;
Just to keep track and stay in touch Marsine started a facebook group page for family members they found using 23andMe DNA Relatives too! Now the group has more than 175 members. 
&nbsp;
Bringing this sprawling family together for the reunion was the culmination of all their work, and it connected everyone to their family’s rich history.
&nbsp;
Fresh off the success of one reunion, the twins are already planning on another — this one in Dallas in 2020. By then the sisters hope to have a few more family members and more stories to share.
&nbsp;
“By the next reunion, we will have some new faces to invite and introduce to the lesser known side of their family at that event,” said Marsine.
&nbsp;
Marybie is a 23andMe summer intern and a second-year student at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. She plans to transfer to the University of California at Berkeley or Santa Clara University next year and hopes to major in Business Administration.

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