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There are one or two other posts on cookware, which covers those made of titanium, but this post is in regards to its interactions with the human body. I haven't been able to find any academic/peer-reviewed articles in this subject and I don't want to go with the idea that just because its very popular means it is going to be safe.

Russell Steen
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MarkE
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2 Answers2

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I'll start by saying that it doesn't really matter how cookware material interacts with the human body, because you aren't going to eat your cookware. What is important is how it reacts with the foods that you cook, particularly acidic foods (which is why you don't want to use cast iron to make tomato sauces).

In this regard, titanium is as close to perfect as you can get, which is why it's used in laboratories and highly corrosive industrial processes. If you'd like references, I'd start with Wikipedia and go from there.

kdgregory
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    Both matters; how it interact with the human body and/or how it reacts while you prepare the food. Cookware can and will leak small amounts of matter which can be detrimental to your health regardless if it reacts with the food or not. – ppl Sep 01 '13 at 16:04
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    @ppl-That's not absolutely true. Cookware "leaking" is more properly termed "leaching". The food will sometimes pull molecules/ions from the cookware.... based on the type of cookware and food. In addition some cookware (clay) is just not durable, and loses particulates.

    Glass (Pyrex) is a perfect example. Eating glass is very, very, VERY bad for you. But there is no risk of how the Pyrex will interact with your body because Pyrex isn't going to leech or lose particulates with anything you'd be cooking (and anything that makes Pyrex give off molecules/ions would probably kill you anyhow)

     – Russell Steen Sep 03 '13 at 15:15
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    @RussellSteen Aluminum cookware and non-stick cookware have both recently been found to be harmful to health because they leach into foods – MarkE Sep 12 '13 at 02:51
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    @MarkE -- Which is perfectly congruent with my statement. Pyrex is not aluminum. I never said or implied aluminum was non-reactive. Again I would be careful of making generalities. "Non-stick cookware" covers a huge range of materials and products which do not all have the same properties. – Russell Steen Sep 13 '13 at 17:36
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    you aren't going to eat your cookware actually, you are. you scrap it with your ustensils, and you eat some. Aluminium, for example, is bad for you. as is stainless stell, and PTFE, at various levels. – njzk2 Jan 21 '16 at 13:56
  • I think I agree with the first statement here... "I'll start by saying that it doesn't really matter how cookware material interacts with the human body, because you aren't going to eat your cookware" At the stage you need cookware, your food probably came inside a tin can and it's full of preservatives and all sorts of stuff you wouldn't want to absorve anyway... Choosing the material for your cookware sounds more liek a third world problem. :) – Desorder Jul 25 '16 at 20:57
  • @Desorder you are responsible for choosing your food, too – njzk2 Jul 26 '16 at 13:28
  • @njzk2 Yeah, I know... but... I'm a keen mountaineer and hiker. If I'm going to climb a mountain, I will probably be carrying some of those dehy meals due to weight. If I'm out with family hiking in a forest park here somewhere, We will try to bring fresh vegies and stuff but we will have that can of tomatoes or that jar of something. Those guys are not packed with the best goodies and seriously who's gonna prepare their own tomato sauce when hiking somewhere. I think the whole things comes down to how practical the gear will be (lighter material, fast cooking, durable, etc) – Desorder Jul 26 '16 at 22:08
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In the article "Is that newfangled cookware safe?" no special mention is made for titanium. Titanium is not commonly found in cookware other than backpacking because it is simply terrible for any cooking tasks other than perhaps boiling water and it is expensive. Many backpackers are willing to pay the extra money for extra weight saving.

According to naturalnews titanium is the safest:

Titanium cookware seems to pose the least health risks and doesn't react with food while cooking.

A reference article can be found here.

One pot for which I would have reservations is the grease pot. It is not made of titanium but is light, cheap and not meant for cooking. :)

ppl
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