Radioactive food that we all eat. Is it dangerous to health or not?

Radioactivity is a term that fills many of us with fear.

Radiation is energy that travels from one point to another in the form of particles or waves. Every day we are exposed to natural and artificial sources of radiation. Natural radioactivity, which consists of radionuclides present in the environment (air, soil, water, vegetation, animals, including humans), has existed since ancient times, since the formation of the Earth, reports anpm.ro.

Although bananas are radioactive, they are NOT dangerous to the body.

Many of the foods we eat are radioactive. Bananas are slightly radioactive because they are rich in potassium. More precisely, they contain natural radioactive isotopes, especially potassium-40. dailygeekshow.com.

The unit of measurement for radiation dose reaching the body is millisievert (mSv). The level of radioactivity in the place is considered dangerous only from 50 mSv. In contrast, bananas contain 0.1 mSv.

In other words, the radioactivity in a banana is not dangerous, even if you manage to eat a kilogram. Conversely, a banana truck is radioactive enough to cause a false alarm on a radiation detector.

Natural radioactivity should not be confused with food irradiation, a process that uses radiation to prevent diseases such as food poisoning and food spoilage. This process eliminates bacteria, mold and other pests. Irradiated foods do not come into contact with radioactive materials, and irradiating foods does not make them radioactive. EPA.gov.