A Professor of Physiology, University of Ibadan, Yinusa Raji, has warned people to desist from taking excessive coffee saying it may affect their reproductive organs and their offsprings later in life.

Raji made the remark on Monday at an Inaugural lecture he delivered at the Trenchard Hall of the institution titled, “Benevolence or Malevolence: The Curious wonder of Natural Agents on Reproductive Physiology”.

Raji, who is a lecturer in the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, said excessive intake of stimulants and some medicinal agents could impact negatively on the male reproductive system thereby causing infertility in a man.

“When the intake of these stimulants are taken beyond the normal regular intake and becomes addictive and has no effect again on the body, it will impact negatively on the offspring.

“This research was carried out on the male rat to see the effects of caffeine consumption on the reproductive functions, observation however, showed how caffeine reduced sperm viability and volume.

“Our studies using male rats have shown that nicotine has dose-related deleterious effects on male reproductive function which may be sufficient to cause infertility.”he said.

Raji, however, advised people against the habit of smoking and nicotine use saying cigarette smoke has been documented to contain approximately 4,000 chemicals that include many oxidants.

He further cautioned people to stop the abuse and misuse of some antimalarial and antibacterial drugs which according to him are one of the major contributory factors, to the decline in sperm quality.

“The antifertility action of two antimalarial drugs proguanil and artesunate were further investigated on their anti-fertility action in male.

“The study showed significant degenerative and advance effect of both drugs on male reproductive organs and functions, respectively.

“We, therefore,  cautioned that people should avoid the use of these drugs without doctors’ prescription”.

Raji called on the University management to give individual researcher a marching order with specific mandate to solve specific problems that are ravaging humanity.

“Mr Vice Chancellor sir, physiology is the study of normal functions of the body, from its smallest unit, the cell. Any support given to foster the development of the discipline is given to the sustenance of life.

“The discipline, therefore, requires special attention if we are to maintain normal life and living.’’

He also urged the Federal Government to increase funding for research facilities and activities adding that advanced countries of the world invest heavily on research and development.

“If Nigeria will advance, the government must invest heavily in research and development. It must invest in the education sector, ” he said. (NAN