Tanning beds help vitamin D deficiency
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It is interesting to note that cancer researchers are conducting research on areas not directly associated with cancer.
Catherine E. Mosher of memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Sharon Danoff-Burg of the State University of New York conducted a study and found that individuals who have used indoor tanning facilities were more likely to have anxiety and behavioral problems like substance abuse.
Readers should remember that the study did not establish any causal relation between use of tanning beds and behavioral problems.
For the study reported in the April 2010 issue of Archive Dermatology, the researchers surveyed 421 college students using two modified questionnaires typically used to screen for alcohol abuse or substance related disorders for their addiction to indoor tanning. The participants were also assessed for anxiety depression and substance abuse.
229 participants had used indoor tanning facilities and on averages the number of visits in the past year was 23. 70 to 90 of these subjects could be considered tanning addicts.
Students who did meet the addiction criteria were more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and use of alcohol, marijuana and other substances than those who did not meet these criteria.
"If associations between affective factors and indoor tanning behavior are replicated, results suggest that treating an underlying mood disorder may be a necessary step in reducing skin cancer risk among those who frequently tan indoors," the authors wrote.
"Researchers have hypothesized that those who tan regularly year round may require more intensive intervention efforts, such as motivational interviewing, relative to those who tan periodically in response to mood changes or special events."
Be aware that the study did not prove that the students used alcohol, marijuana because of using tanning beds. This association can be incidental. In no way should it be interpreted that use of tanning facilities led to use of alcohol and other substances.
A health observer commented that tanning addiction should not be a surprise. Tanning beds are like the sun in that ultraviolet rays help vitamin D production. If people like sunshine, they would like tanning facilities.
Tanning beds can be used to help those who are vitamin D deficiency. A heavy weight vitamin D researcher named Michael Holick found that UV rays from a commercial tanning bed could effectively stimulate production of vitamin D.
Many organizations, particularly cancer organizations, oppose use of tanning beds. They say that exposure to UV rays increases risk of skin cancer.
UV rays are considered cancer causing agents. However, vitamin D experts have found that the risk of vitamin d deficiency is far much more dangerous than the skin cancer risk. Skin cancer is in most cases are non-lethal while vitamin D deficiency can lead to 17 type of serious cancers including breast cancer. Studies have suggested that maintaining high levels of vitamin D may help prevent up to 70 percent breast cancer risk.
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