(Natural News) A company called 23andMe, which provides do-it-yourself home genetic testing kits for assessing your risk for at least 10 diseases, has just been granted permission by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to start selling such tests directly to the public for $199 a pop.

The testing kits promise to determine your chances at the "genetic lotto" for conditions ranging from celiac disease and Gaucher disease type 1, to Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's. Implied in the testing is the fake science narrative that genetics alone can determine your health outcome.

The process of taking the tests is relatively simple. Customers select their choice of tests from an online selection. A saliva collection kit is then dispatched and received by the client within three to five days. After spitting in the tube provided with the kit, the client registers the barcode on the tube and mails it back to the laboratory in the included prepaid package. Lab technicians extract DNA from the sample and check it for genetic markers, and within eight weeks the client has the answer to whether or not they are genetically predisposed to a certain condition.

In the past, Americans wanting this type of information were obliged to visit a medical professional to obtain it. They were also often compelled to receive genetic counseling first, which would equip them to emotionally cope with the results. 23andMe clients will not have to undergo genetic counseling, though such services are available.

23andMe already offers another genetic testing service whereby people can determine if they carry genetic mutations for conditions like cystic fibrosis that must be present in both parents to potentially affect their future children. The FDA granted permission for that type of DIY testing back in 2015.

Genetic testing results wildly misunderstood by consumers and even doctors

These types of tests raise concerns for many.

For one thing, test results in no way guarantee that a person will or will not get a certain disease, and this can be hard for them to understand.

"If people know what they are purchasing and understand the results, then I support such tests," said Dr. Gail P. Jarvik, the University of Washington's head of medical genetics. "Many of these tests indicate risk of getting disease, not the certainty of getting it." That, she added, "can be a challenging concept to communicate."

And, as noted by CBS News, not all gene variations are equal, in that some raise the risk of a certain disease in a big way, while others have little or no effect.