TRUE

Multiple high-credibility sources confirm that bananas contain naturally occurring radionuclides in the form of potassium-40 1 2 4. A typical banana contains about 450 mg of potassium, and its radioactive K-40 content exposes a consumer to approximately 0.01 mrem of radiation 3. While bananas are radioactive, the dose is considered very small and significantly less than the background radiation humans encounter daily 5 10. This phenomenon is so well-documented that the term banana equivalent dose is used to compare radiation levels in various contexts 6 8 9. Potassium is an abundant element in the Earth's crust, and its radioactive isotope is naturally present in many foodstuffs 7.