Did You Know

Did you know that light is essential for life?

Sunlight essentially runs our planet, providing:

• energy for plants to grow;
• heat for some animals and reptiles to warm their bodies; and
• essential vitamins for us to live healthy lives.

When ultra violet (UV) light touches our skin, our bodies are able to produce vitamin D. This aptly named “sunshine vitamin” helps strengthen our bones, protect our immune system, and ward off many deadly diseases. Getting a daily dose of UV light—whether it’s from the morning sun or a tanning booth—is just as important to our wellbeing as taking the rest of our vitamins. In fact, Time magazine named the “benefits of vitamin D” as one of the top 10 medical breakthroughs of 2007. 

Did you know that UV light has medicinal properties?

During the 18th and 19th century, American workers began to leave farms for factory jobs. This process of industrialization and urbanization meant that workers and their families spent less time outdoors and, therefore got less sun exposure. The result? The percentage of the population suffering from Vitamin D deficiency soared.

To combat this problem, the medical community embraced several preventive measures such as:

• fortifying certain foods with vitamin D;
• offering vitamin D supplements; and
• exposing individuals to therapeutic UV lamps.

These measures were effective for centuries. But then something changed.

Though fortification and supplementation continue to play a role in public health, phototherapy has practically disappeared. On top of that about 30 years ago, the sunscreen industry launched campaigns, warning the public to avoid all UV light by covering up and applying sunscreen, which blocks the body’s ability to make vitamin D. As a result, increasing numbers of Americans are (once more) not getting the amount of vitamin D recommended by medical experts.

“Sunlight, a source of vitamin D, was used to treat disease throughout the last century. In 1905, phototherapy was used to treat tuberculosis, and rickets was first cured with sunlight in 1921. By 1939, phototherapy was a popular treatment for many diseases, including lupus.”

—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Report

Did you know that unlike the sun’s erratic light, tanning beds are consistent?

The quality of sunlight can vary based on geography, pollution, season, and time of day. On the other hand, the light produced by tanning beds is consistent. Tanning beds are carefully manufactured to mimic the sun’s rays in the most ideal situation, generating the same UV ratio: 95 percent UVA light and 5 percent UVB. Tanning salons also offer accurate timers and stop controls, so unlike outdoor sunbathing, you are the one in control. Since tanning beds follow this natural formula, they can provide a plausible substitute for sunlight in the winter, when people in many regions do not get enough sun to produce the necessary levels of Vitamin D.

“Solar ultraviolet-B (UVB) irradiation is the primary source of vitamin D for most people … In the absence of adequate solar UVB irradiation due to season, latitude, or lifestyle, vitamin D can be obtained from fortified food, oily fish, vitamin D supplements, and artificial sources of UVB radiation.”

—Report in Alternative Medicine Review journal

Did you know that tanning facilities are regulated by the federal government?

No one can regulate the sun. Fortunately, indoor tanning can be controlled—held to the highest standards by health authorities to ensure our safety. The lamps, booths and beds used in tanning salons are considered “medical devices” and, therefore, fall under the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration. Experts in the industry and government work tirelessly to make certain that tanning salons have the best equipment, ensuring the best and safest results for everyone.