Using cast iron for cooking presents a little known but serious health risk particularly for middle-aged men and menopausal women. How to avoid this issue and use safely! 
Given the amount of time I spend in the kitchen preparing meals for my family, you might be surprised to learn that I do not own any cast iron pans. What’s more, I don’t intend to purchase or use cast iron anytime in the future (I choose to cook in toxin-free, traditional clay pots).
This may seem like heresy particularly since cast iron skillets are almost universally considered to be a healthy and durable choice for the preparation of homecooked meals.
However, I have good reasons for my decision, and science bears out my serious concerns about using cast iron pans unless they also include a quality enamel layer to prevent contact of the food with the iron surface.
Excess Iron is a Health Hazard
My primary reason for opting out of cast iron revolves around the health problems caused by excess iron in the diet. Research has demonstrated that cooking with iron pots and pans significantly raises iron levels in food. Correspondingly, the iron levels of those who eat that food increase as well. (1, 2)
Women do not typically need to worry about this problem as long as they are menstruating. The monthly cycle is a protective factor against this condition. Growing children also are not particularly susceptible as growth obviously requires more blood and more iron.
Adult Men and Menopausal Women Most at Risk
However, for adult men (even fully grown young men) and menopausal women, cast iron can definitely pose a problem as the iron that naturally gets into food from the utilization of this type of cookware can result in iron rising to toxic levels. This condition is associated with a host of serious health problems.
Iron is one of the few minerals we cannot eliminate except through blood loss. Therefore supplements should never contain iron. Moreover, cooking with cast iron is a questionable choice for this segment of the population.
Most people view iron as a nutrient, and indeed it is. It is also a powerful agent of oxidation in the body. This means that excess iron increases the chances of cancer and can severely damage the heart, arteries, and other organs.
In addition, persons with an inherited condition called hemochromatosis, or iron overload disease, can be especially harmed from iron intake. If you have any family members with this condition (about 1 million Americans), you should be especially careful with sources of iron in your diet.
Iron Overload Symptoms
Unfortunately, the symptoms of iron overload are similar to those of other conditions. Therefore it may be wise to request a transferrin saturation test at your next check-up to eliminate iron as a potential source of your health woes.
Avoiding cast iron is particularly important if you suffer from any of the following conditions and/or are an adult male or menopausal female:
- Fatigue
- Joint or muscle weakness
- Mysterious stomach or other gastrointestinal pain/nausea
- Weight loss that cannot be explained
- Elevated liver enzymes
- Shortness of breath
- Early menopause
- Loss of sex drive
- Impotence
- Loss of body hair (this is also a symptom of adrenal fatigue)
Later stage symptoms of iron toxicity
If iron overload continues for extended periods of time, more serious symptoms can emerge such as the following.
- Greying or bronzing of the skin
- Blood sugar issues
- Irregular heartbeat
- Liver problems
- Arthritis
How to Resolve Iron Overload Quickly
If you’ve been cooking with cast iron for a long time and are an adult male or menopausal female, it might be wise to donate blood right away. This practice will reduce iron stores immediately. Remember, loss of blood is the only way to resolve iron toxicity problems.
Continue regular blood donation until you can completely switch over to another type of nontoxic cookware such as clay, enamel, glass, or titanium.
Anemia Usually from an Imbalanced Gut NOT Inadequate Iron
Believe it or not, there is plenty of iron in the diet of the typical American. Even those eating the horrific Standard American Diet need not worry about inadequate iron intake. In addition, there is almost certainly adequate iron intake for a person eating a diet based on traditional foods and also in the diets of vegetarians.
Therefore, if you are anemic or suffer from pregnancy anemia and feel the need to use cast iron to increase your iron levels, you may wish to consider an imbalanced gut as a more likely source of the problem. Common gut pathogens consume iron and are a frequent cause of anemia. These pathogens include Actinomyces spp., Mycobacterium spp., pathogenic strains of E. coli, Corynebacterium spp., along with many others. Previous use of the birth control pill or antibiotics makes one especially prone to anemia issues.
Unfortunately, increasing iron intake with cast iron only makes these iron loving pathogens grow stronger. It does little to remedy anemia over the long haul. Therefore, rebalancing the gut with beneficial bacterial strains through diet and lifestyle changes rather than use of cast iron or iron supplements is the best approach to solving the root of the problem.
Using Cast Iron Safely
As mentioned above, using enameled cast iron is a safe option if you prefer the ease of use and heavy feel of cast iron pans. The enameled layer protects the food from contact with the iron portion of the pan and hence, offers an option that is both practical and safe. I recommend Le Creuset cookware as one of the best quality brands on the market if this is something you wish to explore.
It’s not just cast iron that is a potential health hazard. Learning to use stainless steel cookware, aluminum bakeware, and other kitchen equipment safely is of paramount importance for the modern cook. It’s not just about the food. Preparation is very important too to avoid the introduction of unwanted toxins!
References
(1) Food prepared in iron cooking pots as an intervention for reducing iron deficiency anemia
(2) Iron Content of Food Cooked in Iron Utensils
(3) Excess Iron: A Health Risk?
(4) Gut and Psychology Syndrome
I donate blood every 8 weeks. Problem solved.
I am not convinced that the increase in iron with most foods is significant. A study I read indicates that acidic foods cooked in iron does raise the iron absorbed significantly, but a steak or hamburger in an old cast iron pan is very, very small. I actually have the genetic propensity to haemochromatosis and am post-menopausal. My iron levels remain in the normal ranges and I use a cast iron skillet for all meat cooking that isn’t grilled, though I do use stainless for spaghetti sauces and the like. I have used my old cast iron skillet for at least twenty years and my mother in law for forty before that. I understand that new skillets/pans cause more absorption than older ones, but still ~ I don’t think using a cast iron skillet even daily for frying an egg is that risky.
I use cast iron… its what we have.. Stainless steel pans are just aluminum with stainless steel on them. You have to pay particular attention to the grade of the stainless steel. I have thrown out my teflon and my aluminum.. I will check into the ceramic and the glass–but I have a feeling those arent very easily acessable.
and almost all ceramic will have lead. cast iron would be better than ceramic,
you can often find Corning visions cookware on ebay.
Have you looked into how how much iron truly does leech out, especially in a well-seasoned pan? The coating of grease/oil on a well seasoned pan can protect certain leeching properties. This is why tomatoes and other acidic foods can actually be cooked in cast iron, although only if the pan is well seasoned. As you use your pan it builds up a natural coating. Now if you use soap or don’t re-grease your pan after cleaning it, this can present a different set of issues.
Also, do you have any references for this info.? I would be interested in doing further research. Thanks so much!
It really depends, Therese, on many factors (heat, cooking time, seasoning of the pan, food being cooked etc). I personally choose not to take the risk at all as there are plenty of nontoxic options for cookware.
So what are the nontoxic options? You are saying- Teflon is out, aluminum is out, now stainless steel is out, cast iron is out, the only safe enamel coated pots cost $200 and more……what’s left that I don’t know about????
“Titanium, enamel, and glass are best from what I have read, although I am by no means an expert on cookware.” (From Sarah, May 2011)
I bought an All-Clad stainless steel omelet pan for eggs. I use butter. The key is that you have to make sure the pan is HOT before you put the eggs in. Otherwise they stick like crazy!!
Doesn’t the butter burn before it gets very hot? I suppose ghee would be pretty much fool proof..
Skillet cooking almost always entail putting the food item into it when it it is already hot.
I searched on Dr. Mercola’s site for these pans he was pushing months ago; claimed to be a healthy alternative to Teflon, not stick and all. I could not find them today. Do you suppose they weren’t all they were cracked up to be? Pretty hard to make frittas and omelets without Teflon; sad but true.
You know, I cook my eggs in a stainless skillet. It just builds up my muscles scraping it off. Oh well. Trying to think practically about it.
I have finally figured out how to make eggs in stainless steel without them sticking. I heat the pan up until a drop of water will skate across it. Put cold butter in, let it sizzle minute, it will turn a tiny bit brown (yuum, brown butter!) Pour eggs in and if making an omelet, use a thin spatula like a fish-turner. Done in 2-3 minutes and NO STICKING!!
What did they do back before Teflon anyway??? I am going to research this starting with my Julia Child’s, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Me thinks they used, gasp…..aluminum!!
I think it was the Romans that used lead for cooking of all things. They loved it because it added sweetness to the food as lead tastes a bit sweet from what I remember reading. Problem is, they all went nuts from it.
I HATE Teflon!!!! 🙂
I always pop a lid on my eggs when they’re cooking in the stainless skillet… fried or scrambled. The moisture from the eggs produces steam which releases them perfectly along with the butter. No scrubbing.
Even I do the same and it never sticks.
I make omelets everyday – in an antique cast iron pan well coated with coconut oil and ghee.
The key to ANY metal pan is to heat it up really hot FIRST, and then add your fat and turn down the heat before you add the eggs to prevent your eggs from burning. I let my omelet cook slowly so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. It has to be hot enough when you pour in the eggs that they sizzle and bubble a bit, but you must immediately turn the heat down quite low as soon as you see the eggs starting to set on the bottom and edges – then add the cheese and cover with a lid and turn to low and let sit until it all cooks through and the cheese melts. It takes some getting used too – too hot and the bottom burns, not hot enough when the eggs hit the pan and the omelette never sets right. Also, even though it finishes on low, it will not burn, but don’t walk away and forget about it – after 10-15 minutes it will taste like chewy cardboard!
Yeah, I know you can fry an egg on a well-seasoned cast iron pan with no oil – but, sorry, an egg with no oil is DISGUSTING!!!
I doubt chlorella will, but I wonder if Cilantro will chelate Iron? Too busy to research it right now, but something to think about. Even so I’d be screwed… I can’t stomach cilantro. 🙁 *blech* lol
I can definitely see a lot of guys with iron overload, though…. especially on a high meat diet. Periodic blood donation should help offload it as well.
The supplement IP6 WILL chelate excess iron from the body. Everybody should be getting regular blood work done that includes: iron, ferritin, b12, vitamin d (25-hydroxy). But seriously, unless you suffer from hemochromatosis, there is absolutely no reason to be frightened of cooking with cast iron cookware. I cook with it ALL THE TIME and so has my mother and grandmother. I fry chicken in my dutch oven, I make tacos in my fry pan. I make pancakes and french toast on my griddle and grill cheese and omelets in my small 6″ fry pan. You can get tested for hemochromatosis very easily.
Available Tests
Ferritin Blood Test
Hereditary Hemochromatosis DNA Test Kit
– Simple, painless cheek swab test to check for the major and a second gene mutation for Hereditary Hemochromatosis.
Iron Deficiency (Anemia) Blood Testing Profile, Comprehensive
– A complete blood count that screens for both iron deficiency and iron overload.
Iron Panel
– A blood screening for an iron overload disorder.
Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC)
– A test that measures the ability of transferrin (a protein) to carry iron in the blood.
I assume this website is American, because that is a very American attitude and not shared by a lot of the world!
There is no reason at all why people ‘should be getting regular blood work done’ at all. In the UK the general view is that people should not undergo unnecessary tests, particularly invasive ones. If there is no clinical indication for bloods then why have them? In the US attitudes to healthcare are a little different, and if you can charge people for tests, even if they’re not required, then it will happen.
I know this is an old thread, but wanted to respond anyway. There’s no need to chelate iron. Just donate blood every 55 days. It will help you and help others at the same time. It’s free.
Thanks for sharing this! I’ve heard this before. I invested in stainless steal several years ago but then I heard they were not supposed to be that good. It can get really confusing and once something is considered to be safe then it is hard to change that.
It’s great that you shared about anemia, far too many get the wrong advise from their doctors..
Sarah,
The article did’nt mention switching to stainless steel pans. Is it still the safest to use although I always have the food to stick no matter how much fat i use. I have just went through menopause last year and I definitely don’t need excess iron issues, however i never even thought about this. Thanks for sharing this food for thought!
Hi Teresa, stainless steel has it’s own issues. They are generally fine for nonacidic foods like eggs and such but for cooking tomato products and other acidic items, stainless can leech alloys like nickel. Titanium, enamel, and glass are best from what I have read, although I am by no means an expert on cookware.
What about enameled cast iron? Does the enamel coating prevent the leaching of iron?
Yes, the enamel does protect from iron leaching, however, most enamel will contain lead, which your body cannot use at all, and is much more dangerous than iron. Make sure to buy enameled cast iron that guarantees no lead-such as Le Creuset, and nothing from China.
Savannah, I just got finished browsing a Le Creuset store last weekend. Every piece I picked up and looked at was made in China. Not one was made in France. I won’t be spending that kind of money on Le Creuset. I love my good ole American Lodge cookware. And my antique corning ware.
If you’re no expert on cookware, then why are you writing articles on it, and arguing the point as if you were?
most of us are not experts on cookware, yet we use it every day. so there is nothing wrong with sharing your opinion about it in an effort to share what you have learned. what are you an expert on McNugget, and is that the only thing you ever write or talk about? sheesh!
Eek, I have never heard of this! I wonder how much I should be concerned about this for my husband. I seem to cook most dinner meals in the crockpot, but do use cast iron for scrambled eggs (which we eat almost daily) and the occasional steak. So I’m wondering if this is an issue even for the small amounts I do cook with cast iron.
Have you seen anything about the amounts of iron that end up in food cooked in cast iron vs. the amounts the body actually needs? Also, what type of skillet do you use? I have some plain stainless steel ones that I use as well, but the clean-up is always much more of a pain than with cast iron.
Yes, I skip cast iron specifically for my hubby! Would like to keep him around awhile longer! He gives GREAT back rubs! 🙂
This article is so full of scientific inaccuracies and misconjecture that you should be sued for blogging malpractice. Shame on you, seriously.
Agreed. And using the expression “hubby” should be further grounds for retribution.
I agree…this article is not evidenced-based at all! Im a doctor, and i have never heard of or encounter in ky practice that excess iron can cause heart disease and cancer in menopausaul women and mature old male!
Totally agree. Cast iron poses no dangers at all, other than a pan can be used as a weapon on an attacker.
I am a registered nurse and a cast iron expert. The amount of iron that is given off is so so minimal in every case study done. This article is soley based on an opinion with no supporting facts, numbers, stats or case studies. I encourage you to keep using your cast iron pans. What’s the alternative? Teflon? made overseas? Teflon pans release at least six toxic gases, including two carcinogens, two global pollutants, and MFA, a chemical lethal to humans at low doses. Perhaps you’re using stainless steel but, that requires oils, fats and butter. Not very healthy.
Keep grilling, cooking and baking with Cast Iron Made only in the United States.
Wow Mike, you really have no idea what this blog is about if you make the statement ‘but, that requires oils, fats and butter. Not very healthy’. You’ll find that people who follow Sarah and the Weston A Price Foundation principles LOVE to eat loads and loads of butter and healthly fats (NOT to be mistaken for vegetable oils) (I’m talking coconut oil, olive oil).
You make the statement that you’re an expert and yet you also do not provide supporting facts, numbers, stats or case studies. Could you perhaps elaborate?
Sarah would never suggest someone use Teflon for cooking. The use of stainless steel is by far superior.
I wish you all the best in getting to know and understand the principles of the WAPF.
kudos Diana!
Couldn’t agree more. The opinion appears to be based on some misconceptions. Food cooked in a well seasoned CI pan, the iron. The pan would leach only a minor amount of minerals.
I’ve used cast iron for years, as did my mother and grandmothers with no health problems.
The remainder of my pots and pans are tin lined copper. Again, if the lining wears thin, come copper may leach, but not enough to cause a problem. No so with other cooking surfaces. Most leach something. l have heard that stainless is not leach proof,
I agree, buy American made cast iron. All of mine is years old, most decades old. I don’t like the new stuff, and there is no telling what is in the iron in foreign pots. Season it wall, which requires a little effort, and do not use chemicals or abrasives to clean and you are good to go.
Opinion, I know, but so too was the article
Not very healthy Mike?
We are all FULL of FAT and living well. Source Weston A. Price for more information if you are willing to do some real studies with real results…
I love my simple but VERY heavy-duty stainless steel small frying pan. I use Smart Balance, olive oil, and so forth — I just use it for scrambled eggs and grilled cheese. But I feel SAFE using it for my little girls and husband. 🙂
This is a great discussion!
Smart Balance is NOT SAFE AT ALL!!!!!! Use REAL BUTTER!!!!!!
Actually, use Coconut oil and ghee to fry your eggs in a cast iron pan – that’s what I do.
To Mike – you NEED FAT TO SEASON CAST IRON! 😉
i hate using stainless steal, i always seem to burn the food (gets hot too fast, even on low heats, that could be partially due to the stupid electric oven though). i agree with mike, cast iron can’t leach out that much and is way healthier than tephlon and way easier than stainless steal.
Disclaimer: I agree that too much iron is a bad thing. My grandparents both had iron issues… they stopped using their cast iron pans (switched to stainless at great expense) and… lo and behold… no change in their blood-iron levels! Turns out they were getting too much iron from their well water.
That said, I’m not arguing the point that iron is one thing we don’t need to supplement in our diet… but to suggest that cast iron pans are a source for iron contamination in our food and bodies tells me either you are cooking on unseasoned cast iron, or, you don’t know what you’re talking about/making shit up. Where’s your proof? Where’s your facts? Scientific support? I think you are just in love with yourself and think you know best for everyone.
Frequent cast iron cooker here… and a scientist to boot… and I am not at all swayed by your “expertise”. If a cast iron pan is properly seasoned, your food will not contact the iron at all. The seasoning (I.E. baked-on oil AKA patina AKA dehydrated, carbonized lipid material) creates a water-proof, non-stick barrier between your food and the iron. IF you learn first how to properly care for your cast iron pans (most include instructions) you will come to realize this yourself.
For everyone else who is reading this article and ready to throw your pans away, send them to me! OR, stop using soap to wash them (heat over 160*=sterile!) just hit them with some hot water (wait till they cool first!) and scrub them with a copper/stainless scrubby, put them on low heat till they’re dry, then give them a coat of oil or shortening (IMO olive oil produces the best, longest lasting patina, though it takes a few “seasonings” as the layers are relatively thin)
Seasoning instructions: coat your pan in a thin layer of oil or shortening –
(olive oil would be my first choice, then crisco-type shortening, things like butter work too but give the food more of an off flavor when baked on… vegetable fat > animal fat for seasoning)
Once lightly coated, place in an oven at around 400*F, until they stop smoking. This will stink/smoke up your house, so best to do it on a nice day with the windows open. Allow the pan to cool, wipe it with some more oil, and repeat if desired. Some times I use my Misto to hit it with more OO while its still hot, and stick it back in for another round. 3 coats of OO is a great start, and the patina will improve with regular use and proper care. Eventually you will be able to do eggs, pancakes, whatever, with little or no oil whatsoever.
Eventually you should have a glossy black coating that repels water and food. Acids are your enemy now! You should re-season prior to/after cooking acidic foods, such as tomato based sauces etc. NEVER WASH YOUR PANS WITH SOAP I know we’ve all been brainwashed by DOW Chemical to do otherwise but it is not necessary, as you will see.
Want to re-season? Run them through a cleaning cycle in the oven and they will come out looking like the day they were cast… oil them quickly or they will begin to rust just from the moisture in the air. Dishwashers work for removing the patina too, but they will come out rusty, and this is not recommended.
Whoever wrote this article is assuming that iron pans=iron in the blood. I can assure you from experience, both in my own life, the lives of my family, and studies I’ve read myself, that cast iron is the healthiest of cookware that you can use. Once seasoned, they require less cooking oils/fats than any other cookware (aside from “non-stick” chemical coatings, which I hope none of you use) and if properly maintained will last your lifetime. They are durable, inexpensive, though a little heavy, and come in all shapes and sizes.
For what it’s worth, seasoned carbon steel is very similar to cast iron, while saving some weight. Steel does not heat as evenly as cast, so it’s a trade for the reduced weight, but they both have the same effect when given a nice patina. If the weight of cast iron is an issue, give seasoned carbon steel a try, just use less heat.
I am a fan of cast iron (remembering my mom killed our Canary when she burned something in a Teflon pan). Unfortunately made in USA cast iron seems to have disappeared. Loge is made in China now, I think. I don’t mind that too much except that they don’t machine the cooking surface any more so it’s not a machined, smooth cooking surface. I can’t imagine that it can ever be good for cooking. Kind of a disappointment for new CI users I’m sure. My tip: buy used; plenty available on eBay.
Lodge’s non-enameled cast iron cookware is still made in the USA — check their website. Their enabled cast iron cookware is made in China, but according to them under very strict supervision.
I’m with Mike. It is asinine to publish ANY literature with no scientific research to back such claims. Individuals have been using CASTED IRON for centuries as cookware; and many other applications. I haven’t time to discuss the scholarly articles of well made cast derived from organic iron vs. inorganic iron–but I can assure you that a quick study on Google Scholar will provoke alternate ways of thinking on the subject. And as Mike said: Stainless is the ONLY way to cook and insure a low-lower level of toxicity. However, stainless cookware is not made as thickly due to it’s sheer strength compared to CI thus, causing a lower level of thermal retention (it does not hold heat as well as cast). Therefore, I will stick to the fine art which has endured time– and cook on it as well!
And doesn’t using a well seasoned pan eliminate much of the interaction between the pan and the food?
While I’m all with you on this one. I just bought a cast iron pan today [it came from Walgreen’s so I’m not expecting the quality of my Great-Grandmother’s 103 year old pan] and it was made in China. Just so everyone knows that not all cast iron cook wear is made in the USA.
so after well over a year now, how is your made in China pan doing??? just curious – i bought one at Aldi and it is probably made in China as well and i have an old one i found at a thrift shop – way big difference (then again, if i use my Aldi one more and get it to be old it may do just as well)
You have lost your marbles. The amount of iron absorb by the body thru cooking with cast iron isn’t really measurable. You need to provide scientific research from a recognized source to substantiate your claims before you publish this garbage as fact