Nearly six out of ten professional indoor tanning facilities say their clients are asking them about vitamin D-related issues this year, according to a SmartTan.com poll conducted in early June.

That number may come as a surprise to many who still consider indoor tanning merely a cosmetic service. “There has been so much vitamin D news this year – more than ever before,” Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy says. “Sometimes many people forget that indoor tanning was invented in Europe as a therapeutic exercise to help elevate vitamin D levels. It’s no wonder tanning clients are asking questions. With a flood of new vitamin D research in the news it was inevitable.”

Humans make an estimated 90 percent of their vitamin D from sun exposure to the skin, with UVB in sunlight triggering natural vitamin D production. With research now connecting vitamin D sufficiency with lower rates of many cancers, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis and many other disorders, it now appears that humans are suffering from modern indoor lifestyles which deny the body regular UV exposure.

“The tanning community’s long-standing agenda – teaching moderate tanning and sunburn prevention – is being vindicated as ‘smart tanning’ as more and more research shows that regular UV exposure is natural and intended,” Levy said. “We can be proud that our efforts are part of the solution.”