On the coattails of the FDA ordering that tanning beds prominently display a black box warning ("Attention: This sunlamp product should not be used on persons under the age of 18 years"), and that marketing materials (including websites, brochures, and user instructions) must carry four additional warnings on the potential harm associated with tanning-bed use, a case report in the Annals of Internal Medicine subliminally undercuts our progress in dispelling myths about vitamin D and sun and tanning-bed exposure.
In their paper, the authors describe a case of a 26-year-old caucasian woman who was referred to the endocrinology clinic for asymptomatic vitamin D toxicity. While the patient did not consume excessive amounts of milk or take over-the-counter vitamin D supplements, she reported using a tanning bed a minimum of three times a week for at least six months. A month after ceasing this activity, her elevated vitamin D levels had normalized.
The authors commented that tanning beds could be an alternative source of vitamin D for deficient patients who cannot get adequate vitamin D from oral sources. While they did note that the risks for skin cancer would have to be weighed against the benefits of increasing a person's vitamin D level, my concern is how this study will be misrepresented by the tanning-bed industry and even the media.
Bottom Line: Tanning Beds Are Bad for Your Health
Let's be perfectly clear:
- The American Academy of Dermatology Association opposes indoor tanning and supports a ban on the production and sale of indoor tanning equipment for non-medical purposes.
- Studies have demonstrated that exposure to UV radiation during indoor tanning damages the DNA in the skin cells, and can lead to premature skin aging, immune suppression, and even eye damage, including cataracts and ocular melanoma.
- The American Academy of Dermatology does not recommend getting vitamin D from sun exposure or indoor tanning because ultraviolet rays from the sun and tanning beds can cause skin cancer.
While you may read that vitamin D is the cure-all for everything from cancer to inflammation, the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine has concluded that the evidence for associating vitamin D status with health benefits other than bone health is inconsistent, inconclusive as to causality, and insufficient to inform nutritional requirements.
What is conclusive? That unprotected UV exposure from the sun or indoor tanning devices is a known risk factor for development of skin cancer, including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
Therefore, there is no justification to expose someone to UV radiation, a known carcinogen, for the purpose of increasing their vitamin D levels. End of discussion.
It is unclear to me what benefit the medical and lay communities are to gain from the case report. It could even undermine public health measures designed to prevent unnecessary exposure to a World Health Organization-designated cancer-causing agent: UV radiation from tanning beds.
Important: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not Everyday Health.