Aside from stone, iron is the oldest cooking surface still in use. This provides evidence for its lack of obvious harm, but doesn’t necessarily mean it’s totally safe.
Paying the iron price
Cast iron is relatively easy to analyze, as far as health effects go. It’s made out of … iron. Not like the more complex pans, which have multiple layers or man-made coatings. So let’s start by talking a little bit about iron.
You can’t just dig up pure iron from the ground. Pure iron is rare and mainly comes from fallen meteorites. And it’s actually pretty soft, so not great for making pans without adding in some carbon for hardening. But still, around 97-98% of a cast iron pan is plain ol’ iron, which is why we’re so interested in its health effects. Our discussion also applies to carbon steel cookware (such as woks), which is made up of 99% iron…
Finish reading: Are cast iron pans unsafe? – Examine.com Blog | Examine.com
PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE IRON OVERLOAD