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Tanning Bed Light Is a Good Source of Vitamin D
Derived from Feb 2002 issue of Tanning Trends Magazine
Vitamin D research guru Dr. Michael Holick is now on the verge of publishing the results of ITA-funded research, confirming some long-believed theories about indoor tanning and Vitamin D production. "We think that in general the population is in risk of Vitamin D deficiency chronically at all ages," Holick said. "Only by having adequate exposure to sunlight or taking much more Vitamin D will satisfy your Vitamin D requirements."
Holick is the director of the General Clinic Research Center at the Boston University School of Medicine - a lofty, credible position in the research community. He also directs the school's Vitamin D, Skin and Bone Center. He is perhaps the world's most respected photo biologist who believes that the benefits of regular sun exposure received in a non-burning fashion outweigh the risk.
The lack of Vitamin D, and what the deficiency can lead to, is Holick's main concern. Bone disease such as osteoporosis and osteo malacia are linked to Vitamin D deprivation, and researchers this year have uncovered the mechanism by which Vitamin D plays a role in the prevention of breast, colon, and prostate cancers. That discovery has Holick very excited. "The dermatology community is beginning to rethink this issue," he explained. "It has been a long a tough battle in trying to have them appreciate that there are some beneficial effects to the tanning process and being exposed to sunlight."
Holick presented preliminary data on three studies he completed this year at the ITA Indoor Tanning World Expo. Here is a glimpse at what Holick will be publishing in peer-reviewed medical journals in the coming months from research conducted with funding from ITA:
1. UV LIGHT TREATS OSETOPOROSIS
Holick has submitted a paper to the Journal of Gastroneurology summarizing a case study completed with funding from the ITA and Smart Tan. The study is of a 61-year-old woman who came to his Vitamin D clinic, who was severely Vitamin D deficient and showed signs of significant bone decay consistent with osteoporosis. "It was so severe when she came to my office she couldn't sit down; she was in tears because all her bones ached so much," Holick explained. "So what do you do? Tanning beds to the rescue."
2. TANNING BED LIGHT IS A GOOD SOURCE OF VITAMIN D
For years Holick has talked about the theory of "Vitamin D Winter" - a term he coined describing the fact that there is not sufficient UVB outdoors from November through March in the Northeast for a person to even produce Vitamin D. This may explain why so much of the population is Vitamin D deficient.
In 1998, Holick published a paper in the medical journal The Lancet showing that 41 percent of hospital patients at Massachusetts General Hospital were Vitamin D deficient. Since that time, with funding from ITA, Holick has compiled data on another group of chronically unexposed people: his own medical students, whose studies leave them little time outdoors at all. "These are people who never see the light of day," Holick explained.
Forty-one percent of his medical students were Vitamin D deficient. But, upon exposure to the tanning beds in Holick's lab, the condition was corrected. Holick will be publishing a paper on this data in the near future. "It will show that tanning is a very effective way to maintain your Vitamin D status, " Holick Said.
His work with the medical students also produced some other results. Using a flash spectrometer purchased by Smart Tan, Holick was able to "measure" and chart the progress of the students' tans. Two hours after tanning the group showed immediate pigment darkening - a 2- to 3-percent increase in pigmentation. Within 48 hours, melanin content increased up to 40 percent. Holick believes there may be a link between melanin production and Vitamin D production.
This data will help him explore that theory. "With adequate exposure to sunlight, dietary Vitamin D becomes unnecessary. It is remarkable how exposure to sunlight a few times a week can reduce the risk of osteoporosis, osteo malacia, muscle weakness, fractures and maybe some of the common cancers, but also to induce a sense of well-being," Holick wrote in an article in The Lancet earlier this year.
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