More than nine out of ten indoor tanning facility owners believe indoor tanning clients are less apt get catch a cold or come down with the flu, according to a SmartTan.com poll conducted in late July.

Emerging research now suggests that vitamin D supports both the innate and adaptive immune systems in the body. SmartTan.com reported in March that a 2010 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that higher vitamin D levels were connected to lower flu incidence. Indoor tanning clients have 90 percent higher vitamin D levels compared with the general population, according to Boston University research.

According to the new SmartTan.com poll, 92 percent of tanning facility owners believe indoor tanning clients are less prone to colds and the flu compared to non-tanners. Only 8 percent thought otherwise.

“While the North American tanning market continues to promote its services as cosmetic, there is an undeniable number of people who visit tanning businesses for the psychological and physiological effects related to regular UV exposure,” Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy said. “There’s no doubt that many people feel they get fewer colds when they are getting regular UV exposure, particularly in the winter months.”