The Joint Canadian Tanning Association made international headlines this weekend for its Friday press release challenging the Canadian Dermatology Association for that group’s continued inaccurate inference that indoor tanning equipment does not make vitamin D.

Leading the news organizations who have already picked up JCTA’s press release, United Press International distributed the story, “Tanning Dispute Rages in Canada” this weekend.

UPI is syndicated to hundreds of media outlets worldwide.

“On Wednesday, (JCTA President Doug) McNabb and CDA spokeswoman Dr. Lynn Guenther sparred on CBC Radio. Guenther said indoor tanning equipment emits primarily UVA, while it is UVB that’s needed by the body to manufacture vitamin D,” the UPI report said. It continued, “McNabb refuted Guenther’s claim on the show and in a statement: ‘Even Health Canada officially recognizes that indoor tanning beds that emit UVB are a source of vitamin D. Indoor tanning equipment was invented in Europe specifically for therapeutic purposes. For the CDA to continue to deny this … is inexplicable.'”

CDA officials have continued to make the statement that UVB manufactures vitamin D, and that tanning equipment emits mostly UVA.

JCTA’s press release laid out the facts: “UVB light makes up about 5 percent of summer mid-day sunlight in Canada — about the same as most indoor tanning equipment,” the release said. “Guenther alleged yesterday that since indoor tanning equipment emits primarily UVA that it wasn’t a good source of vitamin D.”

McNabb was puzzled by Guenther’s statement. “That’s such an ignorant statement – outdoor sunlight is primarily UVA too,” McNabb said in JCTA’s press release. “What’s important is the 5 percent of UVB indoors and outdoors in the summer. A little B goes a long way.”

In the CBC interview, McNabb attempted to correct Guenther, but she did not retract her statement.

Clinical research has proven that indoor tanning equipment is perhaps the most efficient source of vitamin D. A tanner makes more than 10,000 IU of vitamin D in a single session – 100 times the content of an 8-ounce glass of whole milk.

To read the full UPI story click here.