• Question: what makes caffeine so addictive

    Asked by beep44jam to Min, Marcello, Katie, Israel, Dheeraj, Aoife on 15 Nov 2019.
    • Photo: Marcello Valente

      Marcello Valente answered on 15 Nov 2019:

      Caffeine has a positive psychological effect on adults and the addiction comes from this effect and because for many it is like a everyday routine.

    • Photo: Aoife McHugh

      Aoife McHugh answered on 15 Nov 2019:

      Caffeine triggers signals in our brains that make us feel good and alert. We then associate the caffeinated drink with this feeling. However, we can develop a tolerance, and need to consume more and more caffeine to feel like this. This makes us drink more and more caffeinated drinks to get the desired effect and before we know it we are addicted.

    • Photo: Min Yap

      Min Yap answered on 15 Nov 2019:

      Caffeine is a natural stimulant that boosts mood and helps increase alertness and concentration. It blocks receptors in the brain that produce feelings of tiredness, so the natural stimulants work more effectively, that makes the body depend on it more, that’s why it is in some ways addictive.

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