Food - Drink
How Radioactive Are Bananas And Should You Be Concerned About It?
By KATIE HORST
Radiation sounds dangerous, but it is a common occurrence in nature; the Environmental Protection Agency explains that naturally-occurring elements such as potassium, carbon, and radium are somewhat radioactive. Bananas are famously rich in potassium, which may make you wonder if they're radioactive or not.
The percentage of radiation in potassium is about 0.012%, and an average banana has 450mg of potassium; out of all those milligrams, only 0.01 mrem (millirem) are radioactive. In fact, a human body typically contains around 140g of potassium, which means you are more radioactive than a banana, according to Science Focus.
One banana does not have enough radiation to harm you when eaten, and increases the body's radioactivity by only 0.4%, according to Science Focus. Eating one banana a day for the rest of your life doesn't lead to radiation buildup, either, since our bodies constantly regulate and maintain the amount of potassium we need.