Thanks, it was indeed an interesting read, but sadly it has the same non-scientific fuzziness around my key question: “Nobody knows exactly how much comes off over time, nor do they know what the health effects are of eating tiny bits of this type of broken down fat.” “The risks, if any, of eating tiny amounts of seasoning every day for years is unknown. But they’re probably not very large.”

Oil contains carbon atoms, so when it gets heated and the molecules break down, some of the carbon gets set free. This is what makes used oil darker than the fresh stuff. And that carbon is the same as the one on burnt food, which is a known carcinogen. I’d love to find a study about the concrete amounts of probable or proven carcinogens transferred to foods cooked in seasoned cast iron vs teflon, because I’d prefer the everlasting quality of cast iron - but convincing a doctor who works with cancer patients every day requires solid evidence.