Have you heard the latest dispatch from the Department of Contradictory Health Recommendations?

Seems that experts are no longer sure that we need eight glasses of water each day.

For decades, we've been told that people need eight glasses of H2O per day to maximize the health benefits. Among other things, drinking all that water was thought to clear toxins, keep our organs healthy, reduce appetite and improve our skin tone.

As anyone who's tried to take in the daily requirement knows, it's actually pretty tough to drink 64 ounces of water each day. It involves repeated trips to the loo and a strange sensation of sloshing around when you walk.

Still, I dutifully fill up my 32 oz. water bottle twice each day (although, some of it does wind up getting poured into my houseplants on a regular basis.) I've done my best to follow the recommendation because I want healthy-looking skin, among other benefits.

But according to a new scientific review published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, some researchers believe that the average person really doesn't need to drink 64 oz. of water on a regular basis.

In fact, they claim it's an urban myth with no real science to back it up. Their research is aimed at debunking these other myths about drinking water. For instance, they claim that a belly full of water does nothing to suppress the appetite. It moves through our systems so quickly, they say, that we never get a chance to feel full.

Some other "myths" that people believe about drinking a lot of water each day are that it does not flush out our systems or relieve headaches. Indeed, getting in 64 oz. of water each day may not even have an impact on our skin.

The researchers do make exceptions for those of us who live in hot, dry climates and exercise regularly. And the good news is that, except in rare cases, drinking too much water can't harm us, especially as we approach the summer months.

One clear upshot is that perhaps this means fewer plastic water bottles will end up in our landfills.

Stay tuned. Next week, I'm sure we'll learn that people should stop eating a daily total of five fruits and vegetables. Or something.