BBC Inside Science - What does caffeine do to our bodies?

Download What does caffeine do to our bodies?

Sweet, caffeinated energy drinks are in the headlines again as the UK Government says it wants to ban under 16s from buying them. Some can contain the equivalent caffeine as 2 to 4 espressos. James Betts, Professor of Metabolic Physiology at the University of Bath, explains the science behind how caffeine affects the bodies of adults and children.

Earthquake scientist Dr Judith Hubbard from Cornell University in the US explains what we are learning from the magnitude 6 earthquake which hit Afghanistan this week. Professor Dan Levitin is a neuroscientist, cognitive psychologist, musician, and the third author shortlisted for the 2025 Royal Society Trivedi Book Prize. In his book ‘Music as Medicine’ he explores whether music can be harnessed to heal us. And BBC science journalist Caroline Steel brings her selection of brand new research.

To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Dan Welsh, Jonathan Blackwell, Lucy Davis, Tim Dodd, Clare Salisbury
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Published on Thursday, 2nd October 2025.

Available Podcasts from BBC Inside Science

Subscribe to BBC Inside Science

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the BBC Inside Science webpage.