Caffeine na active ingredient for some of di drinks wey dey popular well well for di world and e get powerful effect on human beings.

Wetin go happun if you drink too much?

Caffeine dey naturally present inside di coffee and tea you dey take evri morning, or dem add am to your favourite energy drink and many soft drinks.

For many of us, a good dose of caffeine fit give our bodi and brain dem di much-needed boost wen we dey feel tired or weak.

But recently, dem withdraw one brand of lemonade wey dem dey sell for di United States from market sake of say dem allege say di caffeine wey dey inside dey high well well even though e no plenti pass di recommended daily dose of caffeine for adults.

Dis case raise question of how much caffeine dey too much and how important di origin of dis caffeine be.

Although a large number of studies show say some drinks wey contain caffeine bin don get beta health benefits, but e neva dey clear on how pipo fit consume am.

How caffeine dey affect di bodi?

Many important functions dey happun evritime for our bodi, dis functions include heart rate, blood circulation and sleep/wake cycles. Na adenosine, one chemical wey dey naturally present for di bodi wey dey make us tire at di end of di day dey make many of dis functions happun.

"Adenosine na one of di substances wey di bodi dey naturally produce to calm di activity of various organs under stress or wey need to reduce dia demand for energy", na wetin Kenneth Jacobson, head of di Molecular Recognition Section for di National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for United States explain.

Dem dey see Adenosine receptors for di outer surface of many of di cells for di bodi and e dey react to different levels of adenosine near di cell to send a command to di inside of di cell to reduce di level of activity.

Dis dey promote sleep for di heart, kidneys, immune system and oda tissues.

Wen we consume caffeine, di bodi dey absorb am sharp sharp into our bloodstream, wia e do push adenosine comot and stop am from connecting to di receptors wey dey do dia work.

Dis na why if you drink caffeine e go make you feel awake and alert and sleep no go catch you easily.

According to Damian Bailey, Professor of Physiology for di University of South Wales for di UK, caffeine fit also increase levels of oda neurotransmitters like dopamine and adrenaline, wey fit make you get plenti ginger.

"Di brain dey like one big muscle," Bailey explain. "E need to perform tasks and dopamine, adrenaline and caffeine dey stimulate am to get ginger."

Wetin be di health benefits of caffeine

Caffeine get plenti health benefits and evidence dey on di effects of caffeine on our health, particularly coffee, wey be one of di main sources of caffeine for di diet of most populations.

One general review wey analyse more dan 200 meta-analyses for 2017 find out say drinking three to four cups of coffee a day dey linked to more health benefits dan harm.

And studies wey dey report harmful associations fit dey explained by di higher number of pipo wey dey drink coffee and also smoke.

However, heart health na area wey tins fit dey a little complicated. One population-based study of nearly 19,000 pipo find out say drinking more dan two cups of coffee a day dey associated wit a higher risk of death from heart disease for pipo wey don already get high blood pressure, but e no happun wit pipo wey dia blood pressure dey healthy.

For one analysis of di available data, scientists tok say while moderate coffee consumption fit reduce di risk of death, high blood pressure and heart failure, but dem neva see any clear effect on di risk of coronary heart disease.

Studies show say coffee fit also get effect on di quality of physical exercise. One study of amateur cyclists show say coffee fit improve physical performance by 1.7%. Dem don also associate caffeine wit reduced risk of several forms of cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Coffee - but not tea - don show to protect against depression, and evidence also dey say adenosine antagonists, including caffeine, wey dey block adenosine receptors, dey beneficial for di brain wey dey age, Jacobson explain.

"Dem don study caffeine and oda more potent synthetic caffeine-like molecules, clinically and e show to dey beneficial for people wey get neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's dementia," im add.

In fact, research bin don link caffeine consumption to reduce di risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by 60 percent.

One of di reasons for dis na say caffeine dey improve blood flow to di brain," Bailey explain.

Di brain dey burn plenti amount of fuel," im explain. Even though e dey weigh just 2% of our body weight, e dey account for more dan a quarter of our bodi total energy requirements.

"But while caffeine ability to increase blood flow to di brain na good tin, e fit also cause headaches, so caffeine na risk factor for pipo wey dey suffer migraine," im add.

Coffee also dey associated wit healthy compositions of intestinal microbes, thanks in part to di polyphenolic compounds and bioactive alkaloids - including caffeine - wey e contain.

E dey well established say a healthy composition of di intestinal microbiota fit get considerable effects on our health.

Make pipo also note say some of di health benefits of coffee no dey linked to di caffeine content wey dey inside.

Chlorogenic acid, one compound specific to coffee, for example, fit dey behind some of di health benefits of coffee, particularly in relation to diabetes, Cornelis explain.

"Population data clearly show say coffee consumption dey reduce diabetes, but dem don also observe di effects wit coffee wey no get caffeine, wey mean say e fit no dey linked to caffeine," she add.

Anoda tin be say, many drinks wey contain caffeine fit get different effects sake of oda elements wey dem contain. Dis even apply to different types of coffee.

For example, roasted coffee contain bioactive compounds wey get antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

And while instant coffee contain more healthy polyphenols dan filter coffee, e also contain more acrylamide, one carcinogenic substance," Ruari explain.

Dem don also find out say tea get similar anti-inflammatory effects, due to di flavanol content wey dey inside.

All caffeines na di same?

While dem know coffee well well for di caffeine properties, tea sef get e own.

"Strongly brewed black and green tea fit dey high in caffeine," Bailey explain.

"Replacing some coffee wit tea dey potentially more beneficial to health dan drinking coffee alone."

One study wey follow more dan half a million coffee drinkers over twenty years find out say pipo wey bin drink filtered coffee - wey involve brewing coffee more slowly through filter - get lower rates of arterial disease and death dan those wey no drink coffee or drink unfiltered coffee. Di researchers conclude say dis fit be due to caffeine.

For di first known study of di effects of substituting tea for coffee, researchers find out say replacing some coffee wit tea get potential health benefits instead of to drink coffee alone.

Di researchers conclude say men wey get between one third and half of dia daily caffeine intake from coffee get di lowest risk of death, and women wey drink only coffee or up to 40% tea get di lowest risk of death, but di pipo wey drink more tea dan dat get a higher risk of death.

Anoda more recent trend na di use of caffeine for energy drinks - a loose term for fizzy drinks wey contain caffeine and oda ingredients, including sugar and oda stimulants, like guarana.

Dis seeds contain around four times more caffeine dan coffee beans, and di combination of oda natural chemicals for guarana seeds fit increase di stimulant effects compared wit caffeine alone.

"Caffeine levels build up for di bloodstream afta 20 minutes, and e take about one hour to reach 'peak caffeine'" - Damian Bailey tok.

Studies show say some of di most popular energy drinks wey get caffeine for di UK and US contain between 75 and 160mg of caffeine, but odas contain up to 500mg.

"Energy drinks dey contain oda stimulants like B vitamins, L-carnitine, L-theanine and glucuronolactone," Alex Ruani, PhD researcher for nutritional education for University College London explain.

"Wen dem combine all dis elements e fit scata many systems for di bodi, including di brain and heart.

Afta a long time, e fit lead to heart problems like low blood pressure and arrhythmia, neurological disorders like panic attacks and convulsions."

Choose di right moment

Weda you consume caffeine to stay alert for meetings or to improve your stamina for gym, di time of di day wey you wan take am mata.

"Caffeine levels increase for di bloodstream afta 20 minutes, and e dey take about one hour to reach 'highest caffeine'," Bailey explain.

"Caffeine dey help muscles contract more powerfully and increase how we dey tolerate tiredness . E fit significantly improve performance if you take am one hour before exercise.

Wen you wake up for morning, some researchers recommend make you wait between 90 minutes and two hours before you drink your first cup of coffee. Dia reason na becos: during di first two hours afta you wake up, adenosine wey dey bound to receptors outside di cells go disappear gradually, and e go clear di way for caffeine to bind more effectively.

However, oda researchers no agree wit dis idea, dem claim say na small scientific evidence dey to support am.

But while caffeine dey enta di intestine sharp sharp, di effects fit take hours bifor e circulate for di bodi. Scientists recommend say make you take your last 'dose' of caffeine eight hours and 48 minutes before you go sleep.

When caffeine no dey recommended?

National guidelines for di UK and US advise make pipo consume limited caffeine to 200mg per day during pregnancy.

However, one analysis of 37 studies show say 32 of dem significantly increased di risk of bad pregnancy outcomes, including gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia for di mother, or restricted growth of di foetus.

Dis na becos caffeine dey cross di placenta easily. Di researchers find out say di risk of miscarriage and stillbirth increase for evri 100 mg, and di rate of vaginal delivery increase for 10 mg per day.

According to Jack James, professor for di University of Reykjavík for Iceland, e say caffeine dey also enta inside di breast milk of babies wey dey suck breast.

"Although di concentration of caffeine for small pikin blood dey lower dan di one of di mother, e dey important to note say infants no go fit break down caffeine," im tok.

"Caffeine fit no only influence di difficulty of falling asleep, but also di time or hours wey you take sleep."

To expose babies to caffeine like dis fit lead dem to experience caffeine withdrawal symptoms, James explain.

"E dey strongly established say caffeine dey scata sleep for adults and pipo wey dey use am evritime go dey physically dependent, sake of plenti withdrawal effects," im explain.

Dis symptoms, im add, fit happun as early as six hours afta you stop caffeine, particularly for pipo wey dey use am evriday, and e fit cause headache or make pipo dey vex any how.

"Even though na small studies dem don do for caffeine-induced withdrawal symptoms for young children, dem fit assume say dis effects, parallel to di ones wey adults dey experience, dey likely to cause problems," im add.

Caffeine no only fit get effect on difficulty to sleep, but e dey also affect di amount of deep sleep you go get," Ruani tok.

Adenosine don also show say e get anti-inflammatory effects on immune and inflammatory disorders.

"Dis conditions wey e fit make pesin to reduce caffeine consumption, na afta you consult a health professional," Jacobson tok.

Wetin be di limit dose of caffeine pesin fit take?

No specific guidelines dey for di UK, but di European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) advise healthy pipo make dem no drink pass 400mg a day, and no more dan 200mg at any one time.

Generally speaking, di consensus be like say drinking between 200 and 300 mg of coffee a day beta pass make pesin no drink at all" Mr Bailey explain. But e dey hard to recommend wen we no sabi how much caffeine a particular drink contain, and wen di content dey different," im add.

If we assume one cup of coffee wey contain 100mg of caffeine, 400mg dey equal to four cups of coffee a day - but, according to Mr Bailey, four flat whites don pass di 400mg limit.

Dis na becos different varieties of beans, di quantities of coffee grounds wey dem use and how dem prepare di drink sef fit get effects.

"Moderate consumption of around two or three cups of coffee a day neva dey associated wit serious negative side effects for healthy pipo,"Jacobson tok.

"Suppliers no dey aware of how much caffeine dem dey give you," im explain. "One espresso fit contain between 250mg and 700mg of caffeine, and some energy drinks fit contain 500mg or 600mg.

So e dey easy to abuse caffeine," Bailey add, "and you no go know wen e happun, becos you go begin feel one kind, anxious and evri small tin go dey vex you, you go get headache. You fit also start to experience premature ventricular contractions - extra heartbeats - and pacemakers go dey vex you, im add.

However, moderate consumption of around two or three cups of coffee a day neva dey associated wit serious side effects for healthy pipo, Jacobson tok.

And if person wan suddenly stop to consume caffeine, im advise make dem do am gradually over a few days, to avoid any withdrawal symptoms.

If you dey regularly consume large quantities of caffeine, you dey more likely to experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop to take am at once, but research indicate say dis symptoms fit occur wit daily doses as low as 100 mg. Di mechanism behind withdrawal symptoms na di same as di one wey dey cause di stimulating effects of caffeine, Cornelis explain.

"People wey dey drink plenti caffeine over a long period go develop a tolerance effect, sake of say adenosine receptors dey increased. And if dis receptors plenti well well, adenosine dey more likely to act in di absence of caffeine", she explain.

Individual differences

At least eight inherited genes dey associated wit caffeine consumption, including di ones wey dey influence neurological stimulation, di psychoactive effects of coffee for di brain, di speed wey dem dey use breakdown coffee, di amount we fit tolerate and di pleasure we dey get wen we drink am, Ruani tok.

E fit take two hours to breakdown half di caffeine wey we consume, but for some pipo, e fit take more dan 12 hours, Cornelis explain.

"Caffeine na unique drug becos e dey available evriwia."

Di difference na largely due to genetic variants for di CYP1A2 enzyme for our bodi, wey account for more dan 90% of caffeine metabolism, Cornelis explain.

Na two categories of pipo: di ones wey dey respond to caffeine and di pipo wey no dey respond to caffeine, and you know which category you fall into. Most pipo coffee-drinking habits fit match dia genetic predisposition," Cornelis explain, "becos we fit determine how much coffee we fit tolerate and stick to our own tolerance levels.

But na wia di health benefits of caffeine dey complicated.

"People wey dia blood dey breakdown coffee quickly fit need to consume more to get di benefits of caffeine, as e go disappear very quickly," Cornelis explain.