What Are the Dangers of Cast Iron in Food?
Foods cooked in cast iron present two serious dangers. Anyone with the metabolic disorder "iron overload disease" should not eat any food cooked in cast iron.
Children under the age of 3 are also sensitive to iron toxicity, so don't cook food for infants and toddlers in cast iron.
The only other concern is foods that interact with cast iron, but this is limited to oils and acidic foods like tomatoes.
Significant Extra Iron in Your Food
The Journal of the American Dietetic Association published research showing that food cooked in new cast-iron skillets had significantly increased amounts of iron.
In spaghetti sauce, the iron increased from less than a milligram to nearly 6 mg per serving. The amount of iron in applesauce increased from 0.35 mg to 7.3 mg in a 100g serving. Scrambling eggs caused the iron content to rise from 1.5 mg to almost 5 mg.
An article published in the Journal of Food Science corroborated the increase in iron content of food cooked in cast iron. The newer the pan, the greater the acidity in the food, and the higher the water content, the more iron will be absorbed into your food from cast-iron cookware.
The Iron Already in Your Diet
If you already get a lot of iron in your food, avoid cooking in cast iron. Foods rich in iron include red meat, scallops, clams and oysters. There is a high amount of iron in some seeds, nuts and beans including millet, chickpeas, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, pistachios and soybeans. Dark, leafy greens are iron rich, as are dried apricots and peaches. Molasses, too, is high in iron.
Symptoms of Iron Overdose
Children under the age of 3 can develop nausea, diarrhea and hemorrhaging from too much iron. Symptoms of iron overdose include heart palpitations, joint pain, stomach pain and fatigue. Men may suffer from impotence, and women may stop menstruating. Too much iron acts as a pro-oxidant in your body, increasing the production of free radicals and the risk of premature aging, heart disease and cancer.
Risks Associated with Hemochromatosis
For the nearly one million Americans who suffer from hemochromatosis, the consumption of too much iron is a serious health risk. If you have any relatives with hemochromatosis, ask your doctor to screen you for iron overload using the transferrin saturation test.
Don't Cook Acidic Foods too Long or Deep Fry in Cast Iron
The magazine Cook's Illustrated reported that cooking acidic foods too long in cast-iron pans can result in a metallic taste. They recommend cooking tomatoes for no longer than 15 minutes in a cast-iron pan. You should not deep fry in a cast iron pot. Iron oxidizes fats and oils, turning them rancid.
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