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Health Hazards of Cast Iron Cooking

A number of Web sites promote various theories about the "dangers" of common everyday materials, including |cast iron cookware and other items used with everyday cooking in the kitchen. Questions about these materials have occurred on the Cast Iron Cooking Facebook group on a regular basis. This is why we wish to state that the Cast Iron Cooking Facebook group does not endorse or condone "scientific" theories that are not backed by proven and verifiable EVIDENCE. (Conspiracy theories are not scientific evidence. Neither are links to Web sites designed to scare people not to trust their family doctors, in favor of so-called "holistic" and "natural" remedies.) Questions of this sort, which have regularly been asked on this Facebook group, include:

Do cast iron pans from Asia (China, Taiwan, Korea) contain lead or chemicals?

No. See: www.modemac.com/wiki/Cast_Iron_Politics

Is the amount of iron absorbed into food from cast iron cookware hazardous?

No. See: whatscookingamerica.net/Information/IronCastIron.htm

Does aluminum cause Alzheimer's disease?

No. The source of this rumor stems from a small number of studies from the 1970s that initially suggested a link between aluminum ingestion and Alzheimer's disease. In the forty years since that time, many follow-up studies have been done. These studies have been unable to confirm any link between aluminum and Alzheimer's disease, and they have not been able to provide any verifiable evidence to back up the initial studies from the 1970s. This means the initial studies from the 1970s have since been discredited. This is a standard part of the scientific method, and it simply indicates how science progresses over the years. However, scaremongers and conspiracy theorists prefer to embrace these discredited studies from over forty years ago, and completely ignore the follow-up studies discrediting this theory. This is why, even in the present day, there are still rumors circulating that aluminum is unhealthy or dangerous. This is why we will certainly state the following: Aluminum cookware is safe for cooking.
See also:

Are Teflon and non-stick pans dangerous?

This question has a confusing answer. Teflon and non-stick pans have been proven to give off fumes at high temperatures, and these fumes can cause people to exhibit symptoms similar to getting sick. They can also kill birds and housepets that are very sensitive to chemicals. These fumes have not been proven to have long term hazardous effects on humans; but because of the known effects that have been proven, we do not recommend their use. See: www.webmd.com/health-ehome-9/plastics-food-safety?page=3)

Do vintage enameled cast iron pans from the 19th and early 20th century contain lead?

Sadly, the answer to this is often "yes," and it has been proven. See here:

Is margarine bad for you?


Know Your Enemy

The following is a listing of Web sites that are, to be blunt and honest: DANGEROUS. These Web sites have one purpose and only one: they want to scare you into believing common, everyday food items are unhealthy, poisonous, "toxic," and otherwise bad for you. To do this, they push unproven and blatantly false conspiracy theories designed to make you distrust modern science, including your own family doctor. Why do they do this? To SELL YOU STUFF.