3 Dangers Of Cast Iron #AskWardee 137

Cast iron, cast iron, cast iron… you hear all the time how great it is.

And it really is!

However, there are 3 dangers you should know about… so that you can use it safely and healthfully in your kitchen.

Ruth W. wrote in asking me to address the warnings she’s heard about cast iron and to talk about whether or not enameled cast iron is any better.

I’m happy to share on today’s #AskWardee!

Keep reading or watching below to learn more!

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The Question: Is Cast Iron Safe?

Ruth W. asked:

Hello Wardee,

I really enjoy listening to your podcasts while working around the house. You have a good combination of food related topics as well as just good life advice and encouragement.

I have a question that I have been thinking about for a bit and was wondering what your thoughts are.

In many traditional cooking resources I have heard that cast iron is a recommended choice of equipment, but I have also heard in a few places that it is not recommended due to the iron that is absorbed by the food.

What are your thoughts on this? Is iron released when cooking? Is that a good thing, neutral or negative?

Also what about enameled cast-iron? As far as I understand it is also a good choice. Is that coating more inert then non-stick coatings?

Thanks so much for your thoughts, looking forward to hearing them! —Ruth W.

Ruth, thank you for your question!

Because we’re featuring your question today’s #AskWardee, you’re getting a gift — a FREE Mini eCourse! Our team will be in contact with you so you can choose which one you’d like!

The Hidden Dangers Of Cast Iron

Cast iron pans are a staple in our kitchen. We have a great way of seasoning them and using them so they act like non-stick pans for eggs, searing meat, and much more.

Yet, there are some ways you don’t want to use your cast iron, so that you can keep your kitchen as healthy as can be.

Here they are…

Danger #1 — Cast Iron May Cause Iron Toxicity For Some Individuals

Cooking with cast iron provides dietary iron via the food that is cooked in it.

This is usually wonderful for menstruating women and growing children.

Menstruating women lose iron regularly through the monthly menstrual bleeding and even worse, may be iron depleted or even anemic. The iron from cooking in cast iron pans may help them maintain levels or improve depleted iron levels.

In growing children, iron is essential for growth, so cast iron is great for them, too.

However, cooking with cast iron may be dangerous for men and post-menopausal women who already have high iron levels, determined through blood testing. Because neither “bleed” regularly, their bodies don’t release iron; what’s in their bodies stays in their bodies.

If they also cook with cast iron, the extra iron may raise their iron levels too high, causing iron toxicity.

In early stages, excess iron causes fatigue, unexplained weight loss, muscle weakness, loss of sex drive, and more. When iron toxicity is severe, a person may get grey skin and develop heart, liver, and blood sugar issues.

(Donating blood is a great way to lessen iron load!)

We have instructions on how to season cast iron here on #AskWardee 062. Our seasoning method is the best.

Rather than oil coating the pan, we actually create a non-stick surface, built up layer by layer, by heating the seasoning oil so hot on the pan that it converts into a hard surface; it’s not even oil any more! It functions like a barrier between the cast iron and the food that’s cooking in it.

I wouldn’t count on it being 100% effective at separating the food, but it is the best seasoning out there in terms of how it functions (like non-stick) and how it potentially prevents iron from getting into food.

This is especially an issue with acidic foods… and I’ll talk about that next.

Danger #2 — Cast Iron Reacts With Acidic Foods

Acidic foods “react” with metals, and cast iron is no exception.

When you cook acidic foods such as tomatoes in cast iron, you end up with more iron in your dish. And the longer the dish is cooked, the more iron ends up in it.

The result? Your food tastes metallic and takes on an unappetizing greyish color.

And, the acidic food can strip some of the seasoning off your pan.

You can mitigate against this by ensuring your cast iron pans are well seasoned as I show you right here on #AskWardee 062. This type of seasoning provides a barrier between the acidic food and the iron itself, lessening how much iron transfers into the pan.

How Much Iron Is Transferred Into Your Food From A Cast Iron Pan?

It’s hard to know the exact amount of iron transferred into the food. It depends on the acidity of the food, the length of time a food is cooked, and how well the pan is seasoned.

More acidic, longer cooking times, and worse seasoning all contribute to more iron transferring into the food.

The more you can optimize each of these factors, the less iron transfers into your food.

I have been unable to find any research suggesting that good seasoning prevents 100% of the iron transfer, though… so the safest option, if you are an individual who needs prevent any iron transference, would be to use an enamel-coated cast iron or another form of cookware altogether (like stainless steel).

Let’s talk about enamel-coated cast iron next…

Danger #3 — Lead & Cadmium Contamination In Enameled Cast Iron

People often talk about how you can use enameled cast iron as a safe alternative to cast iron, when you want to avoid iron transference. That is true, however you have to be very careful because there’s a huge problem with lead and cadmium contamination, especially in brightly colored ceramics.

Cadmium is a known carcinogen. Lead is a known neurotoxin that causes brain damage and it takes the place of calcium in bones, among other things.

This is a big problem for pregnant women, who pass on a large portion of the calcium in their bones to their unborn babies, especially during the third trimester. As calcium transfers to the baby, lead is freed up and transfers to the baby as well.

Unfortunately, the most popular brand of enameled cast iron, Le Creuset, often shows lead and cadmium at very unsafe levels when tested. (Visit Lead Safe Mama for gobs of test results on vintage and modern kitchen items!)

Here is a Le Creuset yellow sauce pan with 19,600 ppm cadmium and 48 ppm lead. And while this one isn’t cast iron, right here you can see a Le Creuset Mixing bowl that tested at 40,700 ppm lead!

For reference, the “safe” level of lead in the U.S. for children’s toys is below 90 parts per million (source). The “safe” limit of cadmium in the U.S. for children’s toys is below 40 ppm (source).

However, since these pots are used for preparing food that will be ingested, are the limits above really safe?

For drinking water (or anything else that could be ingested), the “safe” standard for lead is below 15 parts per BILLION, although many scientists consider water contaminated with lead over 5 ppb to be unsafe (source).

The “safe” standard of cadmium in drinking water is below 5 parts per billion, as well (source).

So… Is Enameled Cast Iron Cookware Safe?

Ideally, we don’t want ANY lead or cadmium in our cookware, or at least we want it to be within safe levels, so since learning this I’m not sure I can recommend any enameled cast iron at this time.

The safest option I’ve found is from Lodge. This blue Dutch Oven tested at 48 ppm for lead and I have one of them (click here for the one I have).

Honestly, I didn’t know about the lead issue when I bought it and I prefer NO lead in my cookware, yet I am glad that it tests lower than other brands.

What’s The Best Cookware?

All in all, I personally love using cast iron. With caveats: seasoned really well and no acidic foods.

I know that the men in our household probably don’t need more iron as we women do, so we also cook a lot with stainless steel to balance it out. Through regular blood tests, we are able to ensure and monitor that iron levels are where they should be for all members of our family.

And after many years of using cast iron regularly, our family has found that cast iron usage is not a problem and is part of our safe diet.

More Info on Cast Iron

• The BEST Way To Season Cast Iron #AskWardee 062
• Why We Love Cast Iron
• What To Look For In Used Cast Iron #KYF 042

 

More Traditional Cooking Info…

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Any Questions Or Comments?

If you have other questions or comments about your own experience in cooking with cast iron safely, be sure to leave them in the comments!

Helpful Links

• FREE 14+eBooks and FREE Traditional Cooking Video Series
• Lead Safe Mama (TamaraRubin.com)
• Lodge Enameled Cast Iron 6 Quart Dutch Oven
• The BEST Way To Season Cast Iron #AskWardee 062
• Why We Love Cast Iron
• What To Look For In Used Cast Iron #KYF 042

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Do you cook with cast iron? How do you avoid the dangers, like lead in cast iron cookware? Please share your tips in the comments!