“It should be noted that the predominate emission of tanning lamp is in the UVA range, while cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D is only induced by UVB.” — Dr. Henry Lim, American Academy of Dermatology Council on Science and Research and chair of dermatology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Mich. How can a past president of American Society for Photobiology and vice president of American Academy of Dermatology make such a misrepresentation?

Lim’s comments were part of an article in the May issue of Dermatology World titled, “Let’s Not Call It the Sunshine Vitamin” — an essay encouraging dermatologists to downplay the fact that vitamin D comes naturally from sun exposure to the skin.

The predominate emission of sun exposure — the main source of vitamin D — is UVA. Most sunlamps, like sun exposure, emit about 95 percent UVA and 5 percent UVB in the UV range. “Lim’s comment can only be taken to suggest that sunbeds are not an efficient source of vitamin D, which is factually inaccurate,” Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy said. “Sunbeds can trigger the production of more than 1,000 IU of vitamin D per minute in the skin. Anyone with Lim’s background has to know better.”

The same article goes on to suggest that vitamin D blood levels above 40 ng/ml might increase one’s risk of cancer mortality — apparently a statistical outlier from one survey countered by thousands of studies with no explanation of mechanism for such a suggestion. The article also states, “First and foremost dermatologists need to counter the message that sunlight is an efficient method of obtaining vitamin D.” The AAD suggests that a brochure for dermatologists on vitamin D will be produced later this year.