Three years ago, the feature Sunless Tanning]
But tanning pills have proven to be the hardest sunless tanning myth to kill. Nutritional supplements, or tanning pills, that "promote" tanning proliferate, and ads for them are everywhere.
Why? The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act passed by the United States Congress in 1994 allows the marketing of products as a "dietary supplement" without the approval of any government agency, as long as the labeling includes a disclaimer saying that it has not been evaluated by the FDA and the product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If a question about safety arises, the burden of proof is on the FDA, not the manufacturer.
There are only two things that matter in the production of melanin]your genetics and your degree of exposure to ultraviolet radiation[/b]. Nutrition simply does not play a part for the normal, well nourished individual [if you are an American, you are more likely to be over nourished].
To make this clear, I'll go over the facts of tanning [melanogenesis], describe three medical conditions that negatively effect tanning, summarize four drugs that can affect melanogenesis, and, finally, analyze three typical tanning pills.
The facts of melanogenesis
Melanocytes are specialized skin cells that make melanin. When your melanocytes make melanin, that's referred to as melanogenesis, the fancy name for tanning.
Your melanocytes will produce more melanin when you are exposed to ultraviolet radiation.
How much melanin, and the type of melanin, your melanocytes make, once they are stimulated by ultraviolet radiation, is genetically determined.
It's time to meet Joe's melanocyte.
I Am Joe's Melanocyte
Joe, a typical American, is Irish/German/Native American, and ended up with green eyes and dark brown hair. If he perseveres, he can get a decent tan, and that's where I come in.
I share a bit of Joe's skin one square millimetre big with nine hundred and ninety nine of my fellow melanocytes.
By luck of the draw, I ended up just above Joe's right knee. Joe keeps me covered up about seven months of the year, but during the other five months he wears shorts, and I have to go to work. My job]
Actually, I make a little melanin all the time, but not enough to keep Joe content. He will never fully realize what I do ? unless I die because of vitiligo. Keep your fingers crossed. No one knows what causes vitiligo, and there is no cure.
Ultraviolet radiation is what makes me go into action. It happens like this]
The second ultraviolet radiation hits Joe's skin, damage to Joe's DNA begins. Joe's body immediately goes to work repairing the DNA damage. This repair process signals to me that something is wrong, and that it's time for me to get busy.
Through evolution, Joe's skin developed a protection against UV radiation]
For me to make melanin, I need some things from Joe]
Joe's tyrosinase gene makes the tyrosinase. And tyrosine is abundant, because, like most Americans, Joe eats a lot of protein, and that protein is converted by Joe into tyrosine. That's why tyrosine is a non essential amino acid]
Tyrosinase converts the tyrosine to DOPA, then to Dopaquinone. The Dopaquinone then forms black-brown eumelanin or red-yellow pheomelanin, because not all types of melanin are created equal.
Joe's mom, who is Irish, has melanocytes that make mostly the red-yellow pheomelanin form of melanin, which does not absorb UV radiation as well ? and doesn't make her skin dark. Consequently, she burns and never tans. Joe, however, gets plentiful black-brown eumelanin out of me.
Nothing to it, right? Except the scientists admit they don't know everything, or even most of it. Frequently, we go from A to C and skip B.
For instance, Joe's friend Andrew, who is another typical American [African/Native American/Hispanic], has melanocytes that make melanin all year round, rain or shine. Why? I haven't a clue. But it is safe to say that Andrew's genetic defenses against ultraviolet radiation are better than Joe's.
Could have something to do with a melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) that is produced by the pituitary gland. MSH flows through the bloodstream and reaches the melanocytes, encouraging them to produce more melanin. If someone were to inject Joe with MSH, I would make more melanin. Perhaps Andrew's pituitary gland produces more MSH than Joe's pituitary gland; that would be one explanation.
Joe thinks he can make me produce more melanin by applying special lotions, or popping tyrosine pills, but there is only one thing he can do] Diseases and disorders that affect melanogenesis
Examining diseases and disorders that prevent melanogenesis from taking place is instructive in understanding the limitations of nutritional supplements.
Albinism
People with albinism suffer from a genetic defect which prevents tyrosine from being metabolized. Specifically, the tyrosinase enzyme made by the defective gene does not work properly.
There are several types of albinism which have varying effects on vision and pigmentation.
Fortunately, albinism does not effect anything but vision and pigmentation, so people with albinism can lead long, healthy lives.
Oral supplements of tyrosine [or anything else] have absolutely no effect on albinism.
Phenylketonuria
The consequences of insufficient tyrosine, the darling of tanning pill manufacturers, are far more tragic than an inability to get a deep, dark tan.
Phenylketonuria [or PKU] is inherited as a recessive trait. PKU occurs about once out of 16,000 births in the United States and is distributed equally between the sexes. Because PKU can be easily detected by a simple blood test and it is a treatable disease, most states require a screening test for all newborns.
The genetically determined abnormality in phenylketonuria is a missing enzyme, phenylalanine hydroxylase. Phenylalanine is one of the eight essential amino acids found in protein containing foods. In PKU, phenylalanine cannot be used in a normal fashion because of the missing enzyme.
Specifically, PKU has been shown to be associated with the lack of activity of the enzyme that converts phenylalanine to tyrosine.
Subsequently, high levels of phenylalanine and two closely related phenylalanine derivatives develop. These compounds are toxic to the central nervous system and cause brain damage.
Damage to the brain causes marked mental retardation by the end of the first year of life. Older children may develop movement disorders, rocking, and hyperactivity.
Because phenylalanine is involved indirectly in the production of melanin, the pigment responsible for skin and hair color, children with phenylketonuria often have lighter complexions than their unaffected siblings. PKU children often have blond hair and blue eyes.
Treatment includes a diet that is very low in, or free of, phenylalanine, particularly when the child is growing. Strict compliance to the diet is necessary to reduce or prevent mental retardation. This requires close supervision by a registered dietitian or physician, and cooperation of the parents and child.
Adult women who have PKU and who plan to become pregnant should also adhere to a strict low phenylalanine diet both before becoming pregnant and throughout the pregnancy.
The outcome is expected to be very good if dietary treatment is followed closely beginning immediately after the child's birth. If treatment is started after 3 years [or if there is no treatment], brain damage is inevitable.
As tyrosine is a nonessential amino acid that the body synthesizes from phenylalanine, it is thought that women with PKU who are pregnant, children with PKU, and adults with PKU can benefit from supplemental tyrosine. But this has not been proven] The benefits of oral supplements of tyrosine for PKU has not been determined.
Vitiligo
Vitiligo differs drastically from the two preceding disorders]
Not only is the cause unknown, treatment options are limited. Like albinism and PKU, vitiligo effects people of all ethnic backgrounds.
Oral supplements of tyrosine [or anything else] have absolutely no effect on vitiligo.
Drugs that affect melanogenesis [in brief]
Understanding the drugs that can effect melanogenesis is instructive in understanding the limitations of nutritional supplements.
Melanotan
Melanotan is a synthetic hormone that mimics the action of MSH, or melanocyte stimulating hormone. According to the scientists who have tested and developed it, it has no effect on people with albinism or vitiligo. It only works for people without pigmentation problems.
Not yet approved for use by the FDA, Melanotan may be an effective preventative treatment for people at risk for skin cancer. So far, it is effective only when administered by injection, not orally.
Any claim by a tanning pill manufacturer that their pill ingredients stimulate the production of melanin is false. Not even Melanotan, which has been proven to stimulate melanin when taken by injection, will do this when taken orally.
MelanX
MelanX is also a synthetic hormone that stimulates the melanocytes, and the same issues that apply to Melanotan apply to it. Like Melanotan, it is years away from approval.
Psoralens
Psoralens were made infamous in 1959 when John Howard Griffin, the author of Black Like Me, took psoralens in conjunction with medical grade UV lamp exposure to darken his skin. After his death, it was rumored that the psoralens had killed him, but in reality he died from complications of diabetes.
Psoralens do not make the skin darker without exposure to UV, and that exposure must be carefully regulated. Psoralens in conjunction with regulated UV exposure is called PUVA treatment, and has been used for years for vitiligo patients. It is also used for treatment of psoriasis, which can be life threatening in extreme cases. The hazards of the treatment have caused many dermatologists to recommend it only for patients with dark skin, never for people with red or blond hair, blue eyes, etc.
I am shocked when visitors to this web site inform me that their doctor prescribed psoralens to them so that they could get a tan on vacation. What's next? Maybe the doctor will prescribe some methamphetamines for you so you can lose weight.
[b]Psoralens work by making the skin hypersensitive to the sun]
pTpT
Now that you know all about Joe's melanocyte, how pTpT works won't be too mysterious. When the body repairs the DNA damage done by UV radiation, pTpT is a byproduct. It seems to be one of the triggers to the melanocytes that melanin must be produced, protecting the skin from further damage.
Unlike Melanotan, pTpT has never undergone clinical trials on humans, so whether it will be an effective preventative treatment for skin cancer is unknown. Melanotan has been around for ten years and still hasn't been approved; pTpT is just getting started. So don't look for this anytime soon.
Because pTpT is applied topically, and not by injection, interest in it is keen. This also makes it much more likely to spawn false claims by tanning lotion manufacturers, such as the ludicrous claims made by the makers of Mahakanni extract. It has even inspired false posts from a handful of visitors to the sunless.com message board, who claim to have purchased and used pTpT to get a tan.
A close look at three tanning pills
Tanning pills come in three varieties], those that contain tyrosine [Mayan Secrets], and those that contain practically nothing at all [Deep Tan].
They "work" in entirely different ways. Caretenoid pills contain a pigment [the same thing that makes carrots orange and shrimp pink] which, when taken internally, is deposited in the tissues of the body.
The caretenoids saturate the fat layers just below the skin, which appears to give the skin color.
The Food and Drug Administration concluded that taking caretenoids in the quantity sufficient to create a "tan" was dangerous, and pills for this purpose were banned for sale in the U.S. But they are easier than ever to get, thanks to the Internet.
Caretenoids come in many different forms. The best known is canthaxanthin, followed closely by beta carotene. But the tanning pill manufacturers are on top of things]
Caretenoid pills have no effect at all on melanogenesis, but they absolutely do change the visible color of the skin. Because you have no control over where your body deposits the pigment, however, the results may not be pleasing.
One woman, for instance, ended up with two stripes down the sides of her nose. Because people have protective pads of fat on the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet, those areas tend to turn bright orange ? and stay that way for months.
Then there is the orange-red poop problem. The pigment will color all of your bodily wastes]
Much more frightening, however, the pigment gets deposited in the retina of the eye. The pigment can permanently harm vision. I have received heartbreaking emails from former users of these pills whose vision has been damaged. This is why the products were banned by the FDA.
Caretenoids do have their approved uses]
The other two types of tanning pills contain no pigments.
They have absolutely no effect on melanogenesis.
Be warned, though, that tanning pill manufacturers are as slippery as snakes. They frequently blur the distinction between the caretenoid and the non caretenoid pill. Beta carotene in particular is frequently passed off as a "nutritional supplement" that "promotes" tanning. It is not at all unusual for a tanning pill to contain tyrosine and a caretenoid ingredient.
Elusun
The best known example of a tanning pill that contains beta carotene as its active ingredient is EluSun. Made in France, it can be purchased easily in the U.S. through the wonders of the Internet.
This lowly beta carotene pill received massive press coverage back in 1999 as if it were some miraculous new thing, not just an old fashioned banned caretenoid pill. But that's all it is.
By this time, I have heard from several people who have taken it. They all informed me that not a single thing happened after they took the two month supply. Some poor souls went and ordered another two month supply. They were never heard from again.
So what's the problem? Only one way to know for sure]
What EluSun has to say for itself]
"[b]EluSun wrote] "Now getting a rich tropical tan without leaving town is easy. EluSun self tanning supplements give your customers a head start on tanning, prevent the skin from aging during sun exposure and finally, help prolong a healthy bronze glow. This unique three-in-one process utilizes the richest source of beta carotene to advance the skin pigmentation process, preparing it for an even, progressive tan. And EluSun contains valuable antioxidants such as Vitamins C and E to help reverse the signs of aging, as well as borage oil to help skin maintain proper moisture levels. Stay tan long after the sun goes down with EluSun." "
A classic example of a caretenoid pill being passed off as a nutritional supplement. And not a word about those orange turds in your future.
What does it say regarding dosage?
According to the box instructions, I should take two to four pills a day. Each pill has 20 milligrams of beta carotene, so it adds up to 40 to 80 milligrams a day. For comparison purposes, your average carrot has 6 mg of beta carotene.
Now let's go take a look at www.home-shop.net. Back in March of 2001, when this article was first published, the web site was not operational. It now has been fully fleshed out, although one thing is still missing]
And something has been added]
"HOW WELL DOES DEEPTAN WORK? A test was conducted by Brian Rowley one of the science and nutrition writers for Weider Muscle and Fitness magazine. The results were published in a one page article that appeared in the magazine. The article confirmed that Brian is a FAIR SKINNED person, and that he was impressed with the tan he achieved after using DEEPTAN. Brian approved of the product in the article."
It's a waste of time to look at this web site for hard information. But there are certain nuggets of misinformation that are valuable. For instance, there is a quote from a doctor, "I'm very excited about this new breakthrough called Deeptan. It's a safe, completely natural way to obtain a tan without spending hours in the suns damaging UV rays and its available without a prescription."
[Note].
So what is in the Deep Tan pills?
A visitor to sunless.com sent me the ingredients to Deep Tan. He said that the label did not specify the breakdown of ingredients, although it says to take it with orange juice, 2 - 4 tablets a day], Microcrystalline Cellulose [filler], Di-alpha Tocopheryl Acetate Prep [Vitamin E], Para Amino Benzoic Acid [PABA], L-Tyrosine, Stearic Acid [a fatty acid], Zinc Gluconate, Beta Carotene.
A couple of things jumped right out at me]
But what really jumped out at me is the fantastic ordinariness of the ingredients. Unless you eat nothing but Twinkies, your daily diet will include all of these nutrients.
Now let's look at the study that the article was based on.
The author lists three sources for his article. As soon as I got a copy of the article in October of 2000, I tried to get copies of the sources.
First source]
The only source that mattered was the first one, the double blind clinical trial on people. The other two were tests [I was able to get copies] that took place in a petri dish. Who cares how a lone melanocyte on a glass plate reacts to tyrosine or anything else ? it has nothing to do with taking the same substance in a pill.
I was unable to obtain a copy of the article from the publisher. Fortunately, in the spring of 2001, the author of the article on Deep Tan, Brian Rowley, sent me a copy of this source. I salute him for doing this.
Two different oral supplements were used in the study]
B13/L2 consisted of]
B3/L3 consisted of]
In the preamble to the study, it states that detectable amounts of carotenodermia [beta carotene coloring the fat under the skin] resulted from the first formula, but not the second. These results are not surprising. It also states that "significative increase of melanin concentrations in skin were found after 4, 5, 6 and 8 weeks of dietary antioxidant intake in both groups."
After reading the article, I was dumbfounded to find that absolutely no mention is made of the quantity of UV exposure on any of the test subjects during the eight week test period, although they were asked to avoid sun exposure two weeks prior. In my mind, this renders the study useless. Since the object of this study is to find out if a blend of antioxidents increases melanogenesis, and the only cause of melanogenesis is UV exposure, leaving it out is incomprehensible. Whether or not any of the test subjects got sun exposure, or tanning bed exposure, is absolutely the most significant factor concerning their melanogenesis.
It is as if you tested a diet pill and didn't bother to record the caloric intake of any of the participants.
Let's recap.
Whether or not the study proved anything, it doesn't prove a thing about Deep Tan ? because the manufacturer neglects to provide on the merchandise and on its web site any dosage information.
Assuming that the study done is an accurate reflection of the ingredients of Deep Tan, the quantity of the ingredients is so neglible that they would be satisfied by the average diet.
Two carrots contain 13 mg of beta carotene. One tablespoon of tomato catsup contains 2.7 mg of lycopene. Sixty grams of sponge cake contains 2.7 mg of Vitamin E, so it looks like I'm wrong about the Twinkies. An eight ounce serving of flash pasteurized orange juice has around 145 mg of Vitamin C.
I stand by my original take on Deep Tan ? that it is the perfect example of the tanning pill that "contains practically nothing at all."
A Sunless.com visitor, who took tanning pills in the 1980s, said it best. She wrote, "All they gave me was vitamin enriched urine."
[b]Conclusion]
There is no substance, legal or illegal, that can currently be taken orally to stimulate the production of melanin. Not even psoralens do that]
Unless you suffer from a genetic defect, your melanocytes have no difficulty whatsoever manufacturing melanin.
Except in cases of severe malnutrition or a genetic defect, the human body has everything it needs to make melanin.
How much, and what kind of, melanin your melanocytes produce depends on just two things]
All tanning pills which contain caretenoids in sufficient quantity to tint human skin, whether the caretenoid in question is beta carotene, lycopene, or canthaxanthin, are illegal for sale in the U.S.
As long as people buy tanning pills, manufacturers will make them. They are in it for the money. After all, it's a fantastic scam]
For the tanning pill manufacturers, tanning pills do work, indeed ? they work magnificently at enriching them at the expense of the gullible public.
If you are still having trouble fighting your urge to throw money at this garbage, take that money and donate it to the National Vitiligo Foundation. Through research, the National Vitiligo Foundation hopes to find a cause, and eventually, a cure.
Sources
DNA Damage and Melanogenesis
Nature, Volume 372, December 1 1994
DNA Damage Enhances Melanogenesis
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
Vol. 93, pp. 1087-1092, February 1996
Photoprotection and Repair
Cosmetics & Toiletries Magazine
Vol 111, October 1996 pp. 93 - 97
Enhancement of DNA repair in human skin cells...
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
Vol. 94, pp. 12627-12632, November 1997
The UV-Induced SOS Response]Journal of Dermatology
Vol. 25, No. 12, pp. 775-777, December 1998
Smit, N.P.M., et al. Melanogenesis in cultured melanocytes can be substantially influenced by l-tyrosine and l-cysteine.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology 09(6)]Wenczl, E., et al. (Pheo)melanin photosensitizes UVA-induced DNA damage in cultured human melanocytes.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology 111(4)]International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology
Why Intermittent Sun Exposures and Sunburns are Risk Factors For Melanoma]The Science of a Good Tan
Sun-Protection Studies Heating Up
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center [PUVA treatment]
How Tanning Works
Facts About Albinism
University of Indianapolis Biology Department
The Sunburn Gene
The National Vitiligo Foundation
Antioxidants and Other Phytochemicals]
Effectiveness of a product maybe dependent on the reaction of one's body. Results may be differ in every individual. You must aware of yourself first before consuming drugs, supplements, pills etc.
I think your tanning pills won't take effect in your skins because your skin might not be compatible to it. Try using some other to let you know a tanning bed that is just for you.w
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