8. Why Your Refrigerator Filter (and Pitcher) Might Not Cut It

Think your Brita pitcher or refrigerator filter has you covered? In this episode of The Toxic Truth About Water, Drs. Glenn and Ina break down the limitations of basic filtration methods—from fridge filters to faucet attachments to those ubiquitous pitcher brands. Learn why these quick fixes are often inadequate against contaminants like PFAS, heavy metals, and biological risks. Find out what these products can (and can’t) do—and why whole-home solutions are worth considering if you’re serious about safe water.

What You’ll Learn

• The Reality of “Basic Filters”: Why refrigerator and faucet filters remove odors and tastes but often leave behind serious toxins.
• Pitcher Filter Myths: A look at popular brands, their claims, and the class-action suits that challenge their effectiveness.
• Hidden Dangers: How mold and bacteria can accumulate in under-serviced filter systems.
• Beyond Drinking Water: Why showering, brushing teeth, and even cooking with contaminated water pose health risks—and how whole-home solutions offer better peace of mind.

Key Takeaways

1. Taste Isn’t the Full Story: Most small-scale filters focus on taste and smell, missing contaminants like arsenic, nitrates, and forever chemicals.
2. Maintenance Matters: Failing to replace filters regularly can lead to “loaded” filters that release more toxins than they remove.
3. Pitcher Limitations: Removing everything (including beneficial minerals) or lacking thorough testing can be just as problematic.
4. Whole-Home Perspective: Contamination doesn’t stop at the faucet—your skin, lungs, and entire household are exposed to unfiltered water daily.

Resources & Links

• Check Water Quality: Environmental Working Group (EWG)
• FDA Recalls & Safety Alerts: FDA Recalls
• Connect with Drs. Glenn & Ina:
  • Call Us Today: (732) 300-1925
  • Instagram: @drsglennandina

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Transcript

Glenn: 0:00

Welcome to the Toxic Truth About Water. We're Drs. Glenn and Ina, and in this podcast, we're uncovering the hidden dangers lurking in your water and how those contaminants impact your health.

Ina: 0:11

After decades of exploring natural health, we've learned the importance of clean, safe water. And we're here to share that knowledge with you. From the effects of toxins and contaminants to the solutions that you need. We've got the inside scoop. So let's dive in.

Glenn: 0:28

All right.

Ina: 0:29

Welcome back

Glenn: 0:30

everybody to our latest episode

Ina: 0:33

So we're moving into options, right? What are people doing? we've really exposed all of the different contaminants, the different toxins that we need to be concerned about. On the last episode we talked about specialty waters and how to enhance The benefit of drinking water and hydrating our bodies and now we're going to get into the various options that people are doing to solve the issue, to filter the water and there's just so many. There's so many options out there and some are way better than others. It's a very confusing topic for most people because there's different technologies and different tools and different ways. And so we want to try to keep it really basic so that you guys can understand what to look for, what to look out for, and ultimately to just be able to hydrate your body with the cleanest, purest, safest, healthiest water. that we could possibly create for ourselves, right?

Glenn: 1:37

Absolutely. So we will start with the classic refrigerator filter, right? So many people say, my water and ice, is made through my refrigerator filter.

Ina: 1:48

Yes.

Glenn: 1:49

Having a refrigerator filter is fine.

Ina: 1:51

And let me just say this, because I think we've said this before, I want to say it again and really emphasize. Any filtration is better. Then no filtration, right? But. Often, many of the options that people choose are not nearly good enough. If we're concerned about our health, they're not nearly good enough. So today we're going to talk about refrigerator filters, faucet filters, pitcher filters, some of the common things that many people have, they're typically either part of, if it's your refrigerator, it's part of that, or it's a. It's a very inexpensive way to cut down on some of the contaminants, it's just not necessarily ideal or optimal, but we do want to, share some information on it.

Glenn: 2:36

All refrigerator filters are not created equal, they're just simply not, there's better, way better and way worse. So one is to know, like the quality of your filter and, know one thing. And here's the spoiler alert is that they're just not good enough in the long run, but we'll get to that. But in general. There really is a difference between one brand and another.

Ina: 3:01

And we're not here to say,

Glenn: 3:02

doesn't even pay to get into it really.

Ina: 3:04

So in general, refrigerator filters have very limited effectiveness. They're not able. to remove the majority of contaminants like arsenic and other heavy metals, like pharmaceuticals, like fluoride. Forever chemicals. One of the big downside or disadvantage to refrigerator filters is the exposure to mold and fungus and bacteria because the water dispenser itself can actually increase the risk of exposure to those biological contaminants and we don't necessarily see it. And by the way, the plus side, the refrigerator filters are really designed to make the water taste better,

Glenn: 3:45

very chlorine or sulfur smelling, they're helpful for those, for

Ina: 3:50

the most part, they will remove. a good amount of the chlorine and the other disinfectants.

Glenn: 3:55

They can actually smell.

Ina: 3:57

Absolutely. Now, the manufacturing process of some of these refrigerator filters can actually introduce more impurities into the filter, which goes into our water. So that's a whole topic in and of itself, right?

Glenn: 4:10

Absolutely.

Ina: 4:11

Some of the other downsides.

Glenn: 4:12

One is, it can only do so much. It's a small filter. It's usually, in order to keep any flow in it, for, the way the water is being introduced to the filter, it can't be anything too quick. Too heavy, too compact, otherwise it will dramatically slow that speed, and you won't get a flow out of it.

Ina: 4:30

It has a much smaller capacity as well, right? A magic fix and there's a lot of maintenance.

Glenn: 4:37

I was going to say, that's the biggest problem is people forget to change them, and most of them need to be changed a minimum of every six months. And the way a lot of people are choosing to use it, they should actually change it even more often and left unchanged. Now you've crossed the border to now your water might be worse than it was before.

Ina: 4:57

That's right. So there's actually an indicator light typically on most refrigerator filters.

Glenn: 5:02

Anything, as long as it's a reminder to change it.

Ina: 5:06

people like the oil light on your car. Hopefully we Let it go, Those contaminants are either clogging things up where you're not getting any water flow, or it's absolutely changing the quality of your ice, the quality of your water, where you're putting the contaminants in and it's making it more unhealthy than it was to begin with.

Glenn: 5:23

These filters capture the contaminants. They don't destroy them, they capture them. So as they're being held in there like a sponge, eventually the sponge is filled. And it can't take anymore. And that's when those contaminants start going back into your water, sometimes worse. And then left unchanged, you've got a contaminant laden filter that can now get moldy on top of that.

Ina: 5:47

Mold and other, like we said, the biological contaminants that, continue to grow and, that's a problem in and of itself. So refrigerator filters, not created equal, not necessarily. and remember we're talking about your drinking water. We're not necessarily using our refrigerator water to brush our teeth, to shower in, a lot of people aren't even using it to cook with. But that leads us to faucet filters, because a faucet filter might be something that people are using to not only drink the water, but to cook with the water. And the truth is, with faucet filters, they're also very limited in what they're able to do, what they're able to filter out. And, again, it's not ideal. There's so many contaminants that refrigerator filters and faucet filters are not able to filter out. They're just not designed that way. Better than nothing, but not nearly enough.

Glenn: 6:48

Not only are these filters not truly adequate enough for the contaminant removal, But the place they fail is they require frequent maintenance and replacement, and that's where people screw it up. Even when they have them, they don't change them appropriately.

Ina: 7:03

And it can be, expensive and time consuming. They have, limited capacity. They're very vulnerable.

Glenn: 7:10

thing hanging on your faucet either attached to it. And so you got to be careful. Don't hit it with cookware and stuff.

Ina: 7:17

Some of them, like the faucet actually the filter within. So some of the faucet filters you add onto the faucet, whereas others it's already built in. There's different types. There's limited warranties, it's very limited performance. Some of them, there's plastic build where they're made with, cheap, different plastic materials that can be less durable, more likely to leak. so when you buy a faucet, by the way, that's already contains the filter within, there is a higher initial cost it costs more to buy a faucet like that, of course, because it's oh, look at how cool this is, it also has a filter. You have to replace the filters again, maintenance limited capacity of what it's able to filter. It's a whole lot harder to install, so perhaps that could be an issue for people that normally would, just install a faucet themselves. Exactly. And then they reduce water pressure, which is, another thing that is, obviously a concern. Here we are the refrigerator filters, the faucet filters, they're better than nothing, as we keep saying, but not really enough. Now we're going to move into pitcher filters, right? Because many people, they will use Pitcher filters where they'll take their tap water and put it through a pitcher that filters that water. I would say the two most popular brands are the Brita. And Brita also makes faucet filters, right? So that's, Brita's a big brand out there. So Brita and then there's Xero.

Glenn: 8:50

People have heard of Xero water?

Ina: 8:52

Yep. So the Zero Pitcher Filter and the Brita Pitcher Filter are actually two very different technologies. So a Brita Pitcher is filtering some of the contaminants. It's not doing what the Zero Pitcher does, which is take it down to zero total dissolved solids.

Glenn: 9:13

That's become a huge thing in the water industry. In our opinion, it's a con, and it's called TDS, and you'll see TDS meters. And it's simply a little meter that you stick into the water, and it'll tell you what the total dissolved solids are. That's what TDS stands for. The problem is, that's a very general term. That's like anything in your water is a total dissolved solid, including things that make water.

Ina: 9:39

minerals.

Glenn: 9:40

Minerals.

Ina: 9:40

Correct.

Glenn: 9:40

Agreed, we don't want contaminants in our water, However, we want to discern what's really a contaminant from what's simply like a really beneficial and necessary mineral.

Ina: 9:50

And TDS doesn't discern, it just, when you're using something like a zero, which is why they call it zero. But that's removing everything, including The healthy essential minerals that our body needs, right? So it's producing dead water,

Glenn: 10:06

And so it's a very strong thought out there that when you consume water that is deficient in its natural minerals. it's almost like a vulnerable sponge, just like waiting to suck things in, whether it be minerals, whether it be other toxins it's just not a normal state that really water actually exists in naturally.

Ina: 10:29

And it will look to pull minerals. From our bones from our teeth, so that's something there's a lot of research out there, you know basically the minerals Naturally in nature are contained in the water and when we remove those It's not what our body needs for optimal health and wellness and can actually be a big downside.

Glenn: 10:53

Water is alive. Water is not a dead thing. It's charged. It has a charge. That's why our bodies require.

Ina: 11:00

So what's really interesting, the difference, between a zero pitcher filter, which is taking out all the things, and a Brita, which isn't, it's filtering some of the contaminants.

Glenn: 11:11

A carbon filter.

Ina: 11:12

Yes.

Glenn: 11:13

Carbon based.

Ina: 11:14

But let's talk about A class action suit that was filed against Brita products, their company back in 2023. And the lawsuit claims that Brita's water filters and dispensers are not as effective

Glenn: 11:30

as they're claiming.

Ina: 11:31

So basically false claims about what's being filtered regarding they're actually not filtering. a lot of PFOS, forever chemical. It's not filtering a lot of contaminants like arsenic and nitrate and hexavalent chromium. So it's deceptive, right? And there's a big suit. Nicholas Brown, who is a Los Angeles resident, he's the one that filed the lawsuit after being disappointed with the Brita's I guess, whatever he noticed, it didn't taste good. It didn't smell good, whatever. Maybe he tested the water and said, Oh, wow, this is a big lie. and so I believe the suit has, it's still going.

Glenn: 12:13

going. It's amazing. these companies still keep all their products on the shelves, despite warnings to the public, despite, really unfair practices Huge companies behind these companies. And so their lobbyist and their power is huge to keep them on the shelves.

Ina: 12:29

And I would say, generally speaking, like we talked about earlier, whether it's a refrigerator filter. Faucet filter, a pitcher filter, they're designed to take out some of the contaminants to make the water taste better, smell better, but remember, not to really take it down to the things that are so harmful that are still in there. And it's not just the water we're drinking and cooking with, what about, when we brush our teeth, the membranes in our mouth were absorbing the contaminants when we shower and bathe, our skin is absorbing the contaminants. We're breathing in the vapors in a hot shower. So we're getting them in. And that's why it's so important to really consider that everything in our home. is filtered down to a really good level.

Glenn: 13:21

We say it all the time. You're in contact with way more water than you believe, simply from drinking, of course. And sometimes, in many cases, there's way more water consumed outside of drinking.

Ina: 13:33

Yeah, and whether it's our coffee and our, what we're eating, what we're consuming, but again, washing our clothes, washing our hands.

Glenn: 13:40

adds up. Yeah.

Ina: 13:40

Anything's better than nothing, so please, guys, please keep that in mind, but we just want you to know that it's not enough, and many people think it is. Many people feel very comfortable with the fact that they drink the filtered water from their refrigerator, and we're here to tell you It's absolutely just not good enough.

Glenn: 14:00

Absolutely. Again, thanks everybody for tuning into this episode of The Toxic Truth About Water. We hope that you're getting some valuable insights as you listen to each of our episodes and learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones from all these hidden water toxins If you found value in today's episode, just make sure you subscribe. Don't miss any of our upcoming episodes and feel free to share this podcast with your friends or anyone you think could benefit from the information that we're sharing.

Ina: 14:28

So until next time, remember we are in this together. Keep on questioning, keep on learning, stay healthy and stay informed. Take care until next time. Bye for now.

Glenn: 14:40

Bye.