Dr. Federica Amati, PhD, MPH, RNutr, and Head Nutritionist for Zoe says that “cooking in cast iron is generally viewed as a supplemental method for increasing iron intake rather than a primary strategy. It is most beneficial for individuals who are slightly low in iron or looking to maintain healthy iron levels.
Yes, cooking in a cast iron skillet can add significant amounts of iron to your food and into your body. In addition to eating more iron-rich foods like meats, beans, and spinach, cooking in a cast iron pot is an easy way to boost your iron intake.
Does cooking in cast iron have health benefits? Cooking in cast iron cookware can offer potential health benefits. Cast iron leaches small amounts of iron into food during cooking, which can contribute to meeting dietary iron needs, especially for individuals at risk of iron deficiency.
Unless you have existing health concerns about iron, there's no worry with cooking consistently on cast iron. The amount of iron you ingest is fairly negligible and goes does the more you cook as the seasoning develops.
The iron from a cast iron pan, predominantly in the form of non-heme iron, is indeed healthy for us. It provides a natural source of iron that, when combined with acidic ingredients and paired with vitamin C-rich foods, can contribute to our overall iron intake and absorption.
Cast iron pans can leach a sizeable amount of iron into your food, exceeding dietary intake in some cases. Acidic foods will contribute to much more leaching while an old, heavily-seasoned pan will leach much less iron than a newer one.
Cast iron cookware's disadvantages include its heavy weight, the need for seasoning and maintenance, potential reaction with acidic foods, and lack of slickness for delicate cooking tasks.
Ceramic-coated cookware uses a safer, sand-based material that's manufactured without PFAS (a class of harmful synthetic chemicals known as C8, or Teflon.) These safe ceramic coatings are able to resist heat, grease, and water just like its toxic predecessor, but without the harmful health effects.
Clean your cast-iron skillet each time you use it. Doing so prevents stuck-on food from staying on the skillet between uses. If the skillet is only slightly dirty, a quick wipe after cooking in it will work. If dirtier, or food is stuck, then scrubbing it is best.
Foods rich in vitamin C (such as citrus, strawberries, tomatoes, and potatoes) also increase iron absorption.
Before we go any further, here's the brass tacks (iron tacks?): Cooking with cast iron will transfer a small amount of the mineral from the pan to your food to your body. Unfortunately, the amount of mineral transfer is so small, it's hard to make a case for the skillets and pans as an important source of iron.
If you have iron-deficiency anemia, taking iron orally or getting iron administered intravenously along with vitamin C is often the fastest way to raise your iron levels.
Cooking in cast iron can add a significant amount of iron to your diet. In studies, researchers found that spaghetti sauce cooked in cast iron skillets increased the iron content anywhere from 2mg to 5mg iron.
Ferrous sulfate is an iron supplement you may use to treat iron-deficiency anemia. You may need ferrous sulfate if you don't get enough iron through the foods you eat. Ferrous sulfate comes in tablet and liquid form. Side effects may include constipation, stomach cramps and other digestive issues.
Then, we removed GreenPan entirely from our list of non-toxic cookware. There were two primary reasons: Competing brands began providing independent laboratory testing to prove their products are non-toxic. We became aware of lawsuits against GreenPan that cast doubt on the company's marketing claims.
“Glass, like Pyrex cookware, is a safe option,” Perko said. “Cast iron is a safe option if NOT frying or using high-temperature cooking. If you have or can use or purchase stainless steel pots and pans, they are healthier choices for long-term/lifetime use.”
One concern with enameled cast iron is the potential presence of lead or cadmium in the enamel coating. These toxic metals can pose health risks if they leach into food.
Cast iron is not only safe for everyday cooking but also offers several health benefits. When properly seasoned, the surface becomes virtually non-stick, reducing the need for excessive oil or fats in cooking.
There has been research to show that cooking with cast iron (or using “cast iron lucky fish” for dishes like soups, stews or sauces) can increase the iron content of your foods. When you're struggling with iron deficiency anemia, it can be useful to increase the iron content of your foods in any way possible.
All cast iron, whether natural or coated, has a much higher carbon concentration than other popular food-safe metals like stainless steel and aluminum. This means that natural cast iron is more susceptible to corrosion because when carbon combines with oxygen and water, rust forms.
Chelation therapy
This involves taking medicine that removes iron from your blood and releases it into your urine or poo. Commonly used medicines are deferasirox and desferrioxamine. Deferasirox is unlicensed for the treatment of haemochromatosis, which means it has not undergone extensive clinical trials for this use.
Taking iron tablets can turn the stool a dark, almost black color (actually dark green). This is normal, and does not mean that the iron tablets are causing GI bleeding. Children are at particular risk of iron poisoning (overdose), making it very important to store iron tablets out of the reach of children.
Other autoimmune diseases shown to be associated with high ferritin levels are polymyositis and dermatomyositis especially in the elderly when compared to younger patients [75].