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Why Do Tanning Beds Get Such Bad Press?
Some of the world’s cancer experts have classified tanning beds as a definite cause of cancer.
Ultraviolet radiation emitted by tanning beds is described as a “probable carcinogen.” A new analysis of about 20 studies concludes that the risk of skin cancer climbs to 75% when people start using a tanning bed before age 30.
Natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola, however, is quick to warn the public about the researchers’ bias, and urges people to “critically analyze news stories that don’t make any sense.”
Bad Press for Tanning Beds, Gains for Sunblock Manufacturers?
Dr. Mercola asserts that the press release about tanning beds and ultraviolet radiation was based on an International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) group meeting, not on a new study.
He quotes the Indoor Tanning Association:
“Media reports comparing indoor tanning to toxins like mustard gas, cigarettes, and arsenic are outrageously over-hyped. The same ‘group 1′ category includes red wine, salted fish, and regular sunlight – so these sensational headlines are as absurd as saying, ‘A glass of merlot is as deadly as mustard gas.’”
Dr. Mercola also probes “some type of financial incentive” gained by specific parties from this negative press on tanning beds.
“This happens especially during summer and winter. Why summer? So the lotion manufacturers selling outdoor lotions with SPF, sunless bronzers, and moisturizers with SPF can scare the heck out of the public and cause them to be sun phobic, encouraging them to purchase and use these products,” he explains.
Bias in the Anti-Tanning Research
Dr. Mercola also points out that the bias of IARC investigators is evident from the start.
According to him, the scientists began their literature review with the belief that the sun is a well-established source of cancer. The group bought into this “commonly held, yet false belief about ultraviolet radiation, instead of looking at data outside their bias.”
The UVB Truth
The same group also cited studies showing how UVB can damage DNA.
However, there was failure to mention the documented benefits of UVB exposure: stimulating vitamin D production, regulating 23,000 genes, and decreasing overall cancer risks by 50-60%.
“While it is true that excessive UVB exposure will increase the risk of skin cancer, inappropriate avoidance of the sun will result in depressed vitamin D levels, which will result in far more incidences of cancer and deaths,” Dr. Mercola says.
In dealing with studies such as this one, he strongly encourages you to study the evidence and reach your own conclusions.
“Be very careful about accepting some abbreviated summary that is widely disseminated in the media. If the study contradicts common sense, be highly skeptical as it likely a flawed study, no matter how many media sources are promoting it,” he advises.
Related links:
Can A Tanning Bed Be Healthy?
Conventional Tanning Begs Linked To Cancer
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Tags: sunblock, tanning bed, uvb, uvb exposure, vitamin d levels
