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Can tanning actually be good for you? That’s the burning question in local tanning salons as Baltimoreans hit the tanning bed to prep for summer treks to Ocean City, Virginia Beach and points beyond.

The buzz is focused on vitamin D, known as the “sunshine vitamin,” which the body produces when skin is exposed to the sun. According to the Indoor Tanning Association, those who shun the sun may be at risk for serious medical problems if they lack sufficient amounts of vitamin D. The group, which represents indoor tanning manufacturers, distributors and facility owners, has seized on vitamin D deficiency in a recent ad blitz targeting residents of dreary Northern cities such as New York, Washington and Chicago.

The ads, which appeared on TV and in the New York Times, hit back at the notion that tanning causes melanoma and encouraged people to “rethink sun bathing.” Spokeswoman Sarah Longwell estimates as many as a million people a day on average are tanning indoors.

Separately, the UV Foundation, a Virginia-based group dedicated to exploring the positive effects of UV light, declared February “Vitamin D Deficiency Month” to raise awareness about the medical problems, including the risk of cancer and heart disease, that some studies have linked to the deficiency.

Laurie Donarotsky, 32, of Parkville, said knowing about the potential benefits of vitamin D has made her want to go tanning even more. “I think it’s both good and bad for your health. I love tanning. I can go any time of the year,” she said.

Dermatologists and nutrition experts, meanwhile, say sun exposure is not the only way to get adequate amounts of vitamin D. Supplements and fortified foods will take care of the vitamin D requirement but without cancer concerns that accompany UV radiation, experts say.

About 80 percent of Americans are vitamin D deficient to some degree, according to vitamin D and dairy researcher Robert Heaney, of Creighton University in Nebraska; other researchers say about 50 percent of the population suffers from deficiency. People who are black, obese or elderly run a higher risk of developing a deficiency, studies show. To get an adequate amount of vitamin D, most people generally need about 15 minutes of sunlight each day, said Heaney.

Fifteen minutes may not seem like a lot of time, but the requirement may be tough to fill in Baltimore, especially for office workers who spend their days under fluorescent office lights. Even commuters or those who venture outside during breaks most likely don’t meet their vitamin D needs, Heaney said.

“Realistically, we’re not going to be getting [adequate vitamin D intake] from the sun,” Heaney said. “Indoor tanning works — but the only people who really need it are people who can’t absorb vitamin D by mouth [from supplements or fortified food].”

At Today’s Image Tanning Salon, an indoor tanning salon in Parkville, owner Jim Fisher raved about the benefits of Vitamin D and said his customers don’t just tan for aesthetics, but for the health benefits as well — he has customers who tan to fight psoriasis. He said workers at the salon don’t actively try to inform tanners about the sunshine vitamin, though.

“I don’t try personally to tell customers about the benefits,” said Fisher. “I really should, but I don’t.”

To stave off vitamin D deficiency, the Indoor Tanning Association recommends spending five to seven minutes in a tanning bed a few times a week. Most dermatologists recommend taking vitamin D supplements instead of indoor tanning.

Skin cancer is just one potential side-effect to tanning indoors, said Dr. Andrew Lazar, a professor of clinical dermatology at Northwestern University. The ultraviolet light in tanning machines also can cause lines, wrinkles and premature aging of the skin, Lazar said.

Lazar said most people who eat a well-balanced diet are not at risk for vitamin D deficiency. Lazar’s advice for those concerned about their vitamin D intake is to take supplements. A little natural sunlight doesn’t hurt either, Lazar said.

Some dedicated tanners, like Katie Guckert, 20, of Parkville, choose to ignore both sides of the debate as long as they look good.

“I don’t like to be pale. … I figure if I lay out in the sun, I’m going to get [cancer] either way,” Guckert said. {REDEYE, and Matt Vensel, B}

Matt Vensel, a content creator at b, contributed to this report. E-mail him at matt@bthesite.com

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