An overwhelming majority of indoor tanning facility owners believe that people who tan in salons are less affected by cold and flu season, according to the results of a SmartTan.com opinion poll conducted this month.

According to the poll, three-quarters of those in the tanning community believe tanning helps keep the flu at bay. Just 8 percent said tanning had no affect, while 18 percent felt it made no difference.

“With the Canadian government now trying to confirm the research to date suggesting that sunlight-induced vitamin D reduces the incidence of flu, it’s no surprise that those who are around indoor tanners most often feel that it does have an impact,” Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy said. “We know that indoor tanning clients have higher vitamin D levels, so the plausible mechanism for this association is easy to understand.”

The Vitamin D Council, a California-based non-profit group that promotes vitamin D research, has suggested that flu is associated with lower vitamin D levels. Dr. John Cannell, founder of the Vitamin D Council, has written on this topic extensively. Cannell is independent and has no ties with indoor tanning.

For more information on this topic, visit www.vitaminDcouncil.org.