RAW DATA

What to actually do with your 23andMe raw data

Most people download their raw DNA file, open a wall of rs-codes, and close it forever. But that file is the same data clinical researchers use — 23andMe just does not show you most of it. Here is what it can actually tell you.

What is inside the file

Your export holds 600,000 or more SNPs — positions in your genome where people differ. Each one maps to research on disease risk, drug response, nutrient processing and fitness traits. The ancestry breakdown uses a tiny slice of it; the rest is just sitting there.

Five things your raw data can reveal

  1. Clinical variants (ClinVar) — pathogenic, carrier and protective markers worth knowing about.
  2. Medication response (PharmGKB) — how you metabolise common drugs like clopidogrel, statins and SSRIs.
  3. Nutrition — lactose, caffeine and alcohol tolerance, folate (MTHFR), vitamin B12 and D handling.
  4. Fitness — power versus endurance (ACTN3), VO2max-linked variants, injury risk.
  5. Trait and ancestry depth — including your deep haplogroup lineage.

How to read it without a genetics degree

Upload the raw file to Whale DNA. A chat agent reads it against ClinVar, PharmGKB and GWAS, explains it in plain language, and lets you ask follow-up questions about your own variants. Your raw file is deleted after 24 hours.

Frequently asked

Is it safe to upload my raw DNA?
It is EU-hosted and GDPR-compliant; raw files are processed in-memory and auto-deleted after 24 hours, and you can wipe your account at any time.
Do I need to take a new test?
No — you use the export you already have from 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage or FamilyTreeDNA.
Is this medical advice?
No. It is educational and designed to help you prepare a smarter conversation with your doctor.
You already have the data

Upload your raw DNA and ask it anything — $10 for the full report.

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