Vitamin D production takes place when we expose our skin to ultraviolet-B (UVB) emitted in sunlight and by the vast majority of sunbeds used in indoor tanning salons. While the North American indoor tanning industry conducts indoor tanning as a cosmetic service and acknowledges that you may not need to get a tan to produce vitamin D, an undeniable physiological side effect of this service is that indoor tanning clients manufacture vitamin D as a result of indoor tanning sessions.
Peer-reviewed studies have established that sunbed users typically have significantly higher vitamin D levels when compared with non-tanners. One Canadian study showed that sunbed users in Canada have the highest vitamin D levels in that country, and that most Canadians are vitamin D deficient. Still other studies have generated similar results.
Even though vitamin D production is triggered by UVB exposure, it’s important to remember that natural sunlight is mostly UVA – just like most sunbeds. The UV portion of mid-day summer sunlight is made up of about 95% UVA light and 5% UVB light. The majority of tanning lamps in sunbeds emit essentially the same mixture, but with higher intensity, usually 2-3 times more intense.