Markers / Gene
VDR
One position in this gene is readable from a home DNA test.
The vitamin D receptor, FokI
rs2228570 · chr12:48,272,895 · A/G · evidence: moderate
Having vitamin D and responding to it are different things. This change alters where the receptor protein starts, producing a slightly longer or shorter version, and the shorter one is somewhat more active.
| If you carry | What it means |
|---|---|
| No copies | You have the more active receptor on both copies |
| One copy | You carry one of each |
| Two copies | You have the longer receptor on both copies |
| Ancestry group | A (the effect version) | |
|---|---|---|
| African | 18.9% | |
| American | 48.3% | |
| East Asian | 41.8% | |
| European | 37.8% | |
| South Asian | 26.5% |
1000 Genomes Project phase 3, via Ensembl, retrieved 2026-09-23. These groupings are coarse and flatten a great deal of internal diversity, particularly within Africa. A variant being common somewhere tells you where a piece of your ancestry probably comes from, and nothing else.
Where this gene fits
If you have taken a home DNA test, these positions are already in your file.
Read my file