The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →No: a gut microbiome test is not a validated way to determine your genetic ancestry. Microbiome studies can find differences between groups, but those patterns may reflect diet, medication, household, geography, or other aspects of life—not inherited ancestry. A 2018 study of 1,046 healthy people in a relatively common environment found no significant association between genetic ancestry and gut microbiome composition. That result is evidence against treating the gut microbiome as a simple ancestry proxy in that setting, not proof that host genetics never affects microbes.
What a microbiome profile measures
A microbiome profile describes the microbial community and genetic material sampled from a particular body site at a particular time. A stool sample, for example, provides information about the gut; it is not a direct reading of the person’s inherited DNA or family tree. Findings about the gut should not automatically be extended to the skin, mouth, or other body sites.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Genetic ancestry is a different kind of estimate. The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) explains that “Genetic ancestry is based on a statistical measure of genetic similarity across individuals.” Researchers compare inherited DNA variation with reference data; they do not infer ancestry by sequencing microbes. NHGRI’s definition of genetic ancestry describes the distinction.
What the strongest direct study found
In a 2018 Nature study, Segal and colleagues analyzed genotype and gut microbiome data from 1,046 healthy people with several ancestral origins who shared a relatively common environment. Genetic ancestry was not significantly associated with gut microbiome composition in the study, and the authors characterized host genetics as having a minor role in determining composition. The finding speaks to that cohort and its measured gut-microbiome outcomes; it does not settle every question about inherited effects, every population, or other body sites. Read the study in Nature.
#1 Best Overall
- TOP-SELLING CONSUMER DNA TEST: From your origins in over 3,600 places around the world to the most connections to living relatives, no other DNA test kit delivers an experience as unique and interactive as AncestryDNA.
- YOUR DATA, YOUR CONTROL: We give you full control over your genetic information. You decide what to share, and with whom.
- A FEW SIMPLE STEPS: Simply activate your DNA kit online and return your saliva sample in the prepaid package to our state-of-the-art lab. Your results will be available online in roughly six weeks.
- ORIGINS AND INHERITANCE: AncestryDNA provides more precise ancestral origins with greater geographic detail. Our innovative SideView technology takes your results even further by showing your origins and matches by parental side. *Some DNA features require an Ancestry subscription.
- BUILD YOUR FAMILY TREE: Combine what you learn from your DNA results with an Ancestry subscription and gain access to millions of family trees and the world's largest collection of online family history records. *Access to record collections varies depending on subscription level.
The study also found that genetically unrelated people living in the same household had more similar microbiomes. Factors related to diet, drugs, and anthropometric measurements accounted for over 20% of inter-person variation in the researchers’ analysis. This helps explain why a microbial resemblance between people is not, by itself, evidence of shared ancestry: people can share exposures and routines without being genetically related.
Why geography or group differences do not establish ancestry
Researchers have described differences in gut microbiomes among populations. A 2023 review of global gut-microbiome research emphasizes diet and lifestyle as the most influential factors when comparing contrasting environments. It also discusses how migration and displacement can accompany microbiome adaptation to newly adopted lifestyles. A microbial pattern may therefore correlate with where or how a group lives without identifying inherited ancestry as its cause. Read the 2023 review.
Rank #2
- TOP-SELLING CONSUMER DNA TEST: From your origins in over 3,600+ places around the world to the most connections to living relatives, no other DNA test kit delivers an experience as unique and interactive as AncestryDNA.
- YOUR DATA, YOUR CONTROL: We give you full control over your genetic information. You decide what to share, and with whom.
- DNA + TRAITS: Ever wondered where your freckles came from, or why you hate cilantro? AncestryDNA + Traits lets you discover 75+ genetic traits, allowing you to explore how your genes might have influenced a range of appearance, sensory, performance, nutrient, and other personal characteristics.
- A FEW SIMPLE STEPS: Simply activate your DNA kit online and return your saliva sample in the prepaid package to our state-of-the-art lab. Your results will be available online in roughly six weeks.
- ORIGINS AND INHERITANCE: AncestryDNA is the only DNA test that can show your origins results, DNA matches, and traits by each side of the family, without your parents taking a DNA test.
Population-level findings describe patterns across groups. They do not automatically identify an individual, show that a feature is inherited, or establish what caused a difference. Turning a group association into an individual ancestry result requires evidence that a test can reliably distinguish ancestry for individuals; the sources discussed here do not validate that use for microbiome tests.
Recommended Free Tools
Keep ancestry separate from race, ethnicity, and nationality
These terms describe different things and should not be used interchangeably. Genetic ancestry refers to statistical relationships based on inherited DNA. NHGRI describes ethnicity through shared language, religion, customs, beliefs, heritage, and history, and states that “Ethnicity is not a biological characteristic.” Race is a social population descriptor with multiple definitions, not a substitute for genetic ancestry. Nationality and geographic origin refer to other kinds of affiliation or location; neither alone identifies the cause of a microbial pattern. NHGRI explains distinctions between genetics, ancestry, and population descriptors.
Rank #3
- TOP-SELLING CONSUMER DNA TEST: From your origins in over 3,600 places around the world to the most connections to living relatives, no other DNA test kit delivers an experience as unique and interactive as AncestryDNA
- YOUR DATA, YOUR CONTROL: We give you full control over your genetic information. You decide what to share, and with whom.
- FAMILY HISTORY MEMBERSHIP: The 3-month “World Explorer” membership gives you access to billions of family history records. The membership is redeemable during the AncestryDNA activation process only by the person activating the AncestryDNA test. The person redeeming the membership may choose to convert to an auto-renewing membership by submitting valid billing information.
- BUILD YOUR FAMILY TREE: Combine what you learn from your DNA results with an Ancestry subscription and gain access to millions of family trees and the world's largest collection of online family history records.
- ORIGINS AND INHERITANCE: AncestryDNA is the only DNA test that can show your origins results, DNA matches, and traits by each side of the family, without your parents taking a DNA test.
NHGRI’s summary of National Academies guidance says researchers should choose population descriptors that fit the purpose of a study and explain how they are used. It also notes that genomic variation is complex and is not accurately captured by labels such as nationality, geography, or ethnicity. See NHGRI’s summary of the guidance.
Who is represented in microbiome research?
Claims about what is “normal” or “human” depend partly on who has been sampled. A 2022 analysis by Abdill, Adamowicz, and Blekhman examined 444,829 publicly available microbiome samples across 19 body sites in three large genomic repositories. Among samples with known origin, 46.8% came from the United States, although the country represented 4.3% of the world population. Central and southern Asia contributed 1.8% of those samples despite accounting for more than a quarter of the world population. These figures describe the repositories and analysis published in 2022, not a current census of all microbiome research. The authors identified central and southern Asia as particularly underrepresented. Read the 2022 analysis in PLOS Biology.
Rank #4
- Discover your ancestry and find relatives you never knew existed on both your maternal and paternal sides.
- Get a detailed ethnicity breakdown with the most comprehensive list of ethnicities in the industry: 42 regions, including 7 East Asian regions.
- Simple DNA test kit with a cheek swab - takes only 2 minutes to complete.
- Huge global database enables you to get worldwide DNA Matches.
- Affordable price - includes access to test results. Uses the highest technological standards.
When populations are unevenly represented, results may generalize poorly to people who were sampled less often. A model or comparison cannot be more representative than the populations and metadata available to build and evaluate it, which is especially important when a study makes ancestry-related claims.
How to assess an ancestry claim based on microbes
If a study or product suggests that a microbiome pattern reveals ancestry, check what it actually measures and validates:
Best Value
- MAP YOUR ORIGINS ACROSS 5,000+ REGIONS: Ancestry Composition breaks down your ethnicity across 5,000+ geographic regions worldwide, the most detailed ancestry breakdown of any consumer DNA service. Ancestry Timeline estimates how many generations ago your most recent ancestor from each population lived.
- FIND LIVING RELATIVES: Opt in to DNA Relatives to see up to 1,500 people in the 23andMe database who share DNA with you, from close family to distant cousins, and message them directly. Your Family Tree builds itself automatically based on your DNA.
- DISCOVER WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE: See how your DNA may influence physical features, sensory preferences, and habits across 30+ traits, including cilantro taste aversion to hair texture to deep sleep.
- TRACE ANCIENT MIGRATIONS: Maternal and Paternal Haplogroup reports follow your ancestors' migration paths across continents over thousands of years (paternal haplogroup requires a Y chromosome). Find out how much of your ancestry can be traced back to the Neanderthals.
- PRIVATE BY DESIGN: Your DNA data is encrypted, protected, and always under your control. Enhanced security measures are implemented to keep your information safe. Subject to 23andMe’s Terms of Service and Privacy Statement at 23andMe online.
- Body site: Is the evidence about the gut, or another site? Do not assume results transfer between them.
- Population and reference data: Who was studied, and are the populations relevant to the people the claim concerns?
- Study design: Were researchers measuring group-level differences or testing whether a result can accurately identify ancestry for an individual?
- Possible explanations: Were diet, medication, household, body measurements, geography, and lifestyle considered?
- Claimed use: Does the evidence validate the specific ancestry result being advertised, rather than merely showing a population-level association?
A stool microbiome result can describe a sample’s microbial features. Without validation for individual ancestry inference, it should not be read as an ancestry estimate, ethnicity result, nationality, or family tree.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
