Does cooking in iron pots and pans add iron to our food?

Yes, cooking in an iron pan can add significant amounts of iron to your food and into your body...

By Sanjeev Kapoor 21 May 2014 in Articles Kitchen Secrets

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Does cooking in iron pots and pans add iron to our

Yes, cooking in an iron pan can add significant amounts of iron to your food and into your body... if you eat it. Research has been carried out to study the iron and moisture content of food items when raw and after cooking in an iron pan and a non-iron dish, separately. A new, seasoned iron pan was preferred in the test, in the event prior use might have affected iron absorption. The researchers also compared iron absorption when using a new iron pan versus an older one.

The findings? Cooking in an iron skillet greatly increases the iron content of many foods. Acidic foods that have higher moisture content, such as apples and tomato sauce, absorb the most iron. As a matter of fact, the big winners in the foods tested were these two items. For 100 grams of each, the apples increased in iron content from 0.35 mg. to 7.3 mg., and the sauce jumped from 0.6 mg. to 5.7 mg. of iron. Food cooked for longer periods of time absorbed more iron than food that was heated more quickly. They also found foods prepared with a newer iron pan absorbed more iron than those cooked in an older one. Foods that were cooked and stirred more frequently absorbed a greater amount of iron as well, probably because they came into contact with the iron more often.

Foods cooked at home may vary in iron absorption based on the age of the pan used and the amount of time the foods are heated. So, if you are looking to increase your dietary iron, use a new cast iron kadai.