Cooking in cast iron cookware adds measurable amounts of dietary iron to food.

the verdict

SUPPORTED

the evidence backs this

Recorded sources

5 sources for · 0 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

Is it true that cooking in cast iron cookware adds measurable amounts of dietary iron to food?

Yes. A reference work and a nutrition book both state that cast-iron cookware leaches significant amounts of dietary iron into food, with measured increases such as iron in spaghetti sauce rising 845 percent. Related reviews on iron pots and the Lucky Iron Fish support the general mechanism but concern anemia outcomes rather than cast-iron cookware specifically.

Verdict: SUPPORTED · 5 sources for, 0 against · Last checked 3 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

Evidence for · 5

Cast-iron cookware

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Cast-iron cookware. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cast-iron_cookware

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More for · 4

Will cooking with a Lucky Iron Fish add dietary iron to food?

2016

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Will cooking with a Lucky Iron Fish add dietary iron to food?. (2016). skeptics.stackexchange.com. https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/32298/will-cooking-with-a-lucky-iron-fish-add-dietary-iron-to-food

Effect of cooking food in iron-containing cookware on increase in blood hemoglobin level and iron content of the food: A systematic review -

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Effect of cooking food in iron-containing cookware on increase in blood hemoglobin level and iron content of the food: A systematic review - PMC Lock. (n.d.). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. https://doi.org/10.3126/nje.v11i2.36682

Food prepared in iron cooking pots as an intervention for reducing iron deficiency anaemia in developing countries: a systematic review.

2003

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Geerligs, P. D. P., Brabin, B. J., & Omari, A. A. A. (2003). Food prepared in iron cooking pots as an intervention for reducing iron deficiency anaemia in developing countries: a systematic review.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-277x.2003.00447.x

The Parents' Nutrition Book

1986

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McWilliams, M. (1986). The Parents' Nutrition Book. books.google.com. http://books.google.com/books?id=d1M4AQAAIAAJ&dq=Cooking+in+cast+iron+cookware+adds+measurable+amounts+of+dietary+iron+to+food.&hl=&as_pt=BOOKS&source=gbs_api

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