Does cooking in iron cookware increase iron intake

In much of the world including India iron deficiency anemia remains a serious public health issue.

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Despite improvements in diet and supplementation programs, millions, especially women and children, still suffer from low hemoglobin, weakness, fatigue, and other complications stemming from inadequate iron.

Interestingly, one fairly simple idea has come under renewed attention: cooking in iron cookware. Could using cast iron or plain iron pots be a cost-effective way to boost dietary iron? What does the research show, and are there risks? Let us take a closer look.

What Research Says:

Iron Leaching and Hemoglobin Improvements

Several studies and reviews have investigated how much additional iron ends up in food cooked in iron pots or with iron ingots, and whether this has meaningful effects on hemoglobin levels in humans.

A systematic review published in 2021 examined 13 studies to assess whether using iron cookware or iron ingots increases blood hemoglobin levels and the iron content of food. The review found that in most cases, cooking in iron cookware does increase iron content in food, and some studies show significant increases in hemoglobin. However, results varied depending on conditions and populations.