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Iron is a crucial nutrient in our body that helps develop cells, keeps you energetic, and promotes skin, hair, and overall health. Deficiency of the nutrient leads to dizziness, fatigue, sleep apnea, and more. This is why, you will find health experts stressing on including iron-rich foods in your diet to stay well-nourished. Now, a mere Google search will show you a long list of food items that can help balance iron levels in the body. But did you know your cooking techniques play an equally important role in the scenario? The utensils you use on a daily basis also define how your health profile will look like. Wonder how? Take iron utensils for instance. According to celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, “Cooking in iron kadhai makes your food iron-rich.” Let’s take a closer look.
How Iron Utensils Help Boost Iron Levels In Your Body?
Iron pots and pans have been in use since time immemorial, but it’s only now that people have been more conscious about its benefits. The food when heated in iron cookware, reacts and absorbs some iron from the utensil, fortifying its goodness. According to a comparative study, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers looked into the amount of iron in 20 different types of foods before and after cooking them in iron pans. It was found that around 90 percent of the foods contained more iron when cooked in iron cookware.
Another research, published in the journal PLOS ONE, found that using iron cookware had some evidence of reduced iron deficiency and anaemia risks in children. However, it was also found that the effects of iron absorption in these cases, depend much on your age, the size of the pot, and the type of food you are cooking. For instance, it is suggested to not cook acidic food in iron cookware as it may react and erode the nutrients in the food.
Also Read: Beyond Spinach: 5 Delicious Iron-Rich Foods You Need To Try
Photo Credit: iStock
Dos And Don’ts To Remember While Using Iron Cookware:
– Never use acidic ingredients:
Cooking ingredients like lemon, vinegar, or anything that is acidic in nature in iron pots may ruin the goodness of the food. In fact, it may add a metallic flavour to the food.
– Don’t keep the food on iron pan after cooking:
While cooking iron pan adds to the goodness of the food, keeping it as it is for long may evaporate all the goodness. Iron pan retains heat for a long time, which is why, food keeps cooking even after you switch off the gas. And as we know, overcooking ruins the nutrients in food, alongside increasing of it getting burnt.
– Always season the tawa:
It is important to keep iron kadhai seasoned to cook the food effortlessly. Food gets stuck to the unseasoned tawa, ruining the final product. All you need to do is brush some oil on the pan and heat it well.
– Wash it gently:
Avoid using hard scrub while cleaning iron cookware. It may erode the seasoning, further making it hard for you to cook your next batch of dishes. The best way is to rub some salt on the tawa, along with some baking soda, and rinse thoroughly.
Now that you know about the goodness of iron cookware, we suggest, bringing it out from the loft and starting using it, keeping all the precautionary measures in mind. Happy and healthy cooking, guys!
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