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I want to buy a cast iron skillet but I'm very wary of health hazards. I will use it every day to cook meat, eggs and other regular food. Is there any evidence that this usage of a cast iron will leak iron into my food to the degree that it becomes a health-hazard? I am a young, healthy male and I work out regularly if it has any significance.

Heuristics
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    Um, you did know that iron is a nutrient, didn't you? You need it to live. – FuzzyChef Jan 21 '19 at 20:49
  • @FuzzyChef Obviously, but too much iron, like everything else, is a health hazard. Especially for men since we are not depleting it. – Heuristics Jan 21 '19 at 20:58
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    A well maintained (seasoned) pan should be just fine unless you have health issues that requires you to cut down on your iron intake. But if you are really concerned, buy a good quality (heavy) stainless steel pan instead. – Steve Chambers Jan 21 '19 at 21:17
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    Iron/steel cookware has more or less worked for about 2000 years. – blacksmith37 Jan 21 '19 at 21:40
  • Presumably you could get poisioning if you cooked in a completely unfinished, rusty iron skillet. Otherwise I don't see it. In any case, voting to close this question as "off-topic: medical advice" – FuzzyChef Jan 22 '19 at 00:59
  • I've heard of someone with an iron deficiency being advised to cook with cast iron to increase their iron intake. That would imply to me that if you want to avoid iron, you'd rather avoid cooking in cast iron. – The Photon Jan 23 '19 at 01:23

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The amount of iron that you need is going to depend on your age, sex, and health. enter image description here

NIH: Iron Fact Sheet
WebMD: Iron: What you Need to Know

Having indicated that you work out, you may need more than you think, but you are wise to be concerned about having too much. A typical adult male only needs 8mg. How much iron is leeched into the food your cooking depends on what you are cooking -- and how old your pan is. Acidic foods like tomatoes and (for some reason) applesauce seem to demonstrate this more than other foods. But I disagree with nutritionovereasy.com's indication that food cooked in the pan will aquire a metalic taste (see link below). I've never had that happen.

Do You Absorb More Iron Cooking in a Cast Iron Pan?
Cast Iron Pans can Increase Your Iron Intake

Learning how to handle Cast Iron is a worthwhile endeavor. You can start a dish stovetop and slide it right into the oven. Some of my favorite recipes use the same skillet I've been cooking with for more than 3 decades. Here's one more link to get you off to a good start:
America's Test Kitchen: Cook It In Cast Iron.

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