What makes caffeine addictive?

Answer 1

Answer:

Caffeine is a neurotic stimulant designed to produce a small "high." It usually doesn't work out this way. It ends with a crash and burn. Because people don't like the migranes they get when they continue using it. Then eventually they have gotten to the extent that their bodies cannot function normally without caffiene, otherwise they will have serious side effects. So really,forget the schmaltzy pictures of two BFF's sharing hot cups of coffee over a warm fireplace. The reality is that caffeine is a drug designed to make consumers crave a product. Caffeine is addictive because when the consumer starts using it, when they try to stop they may get a head ache. So to stop the headache, they use more, and more, and more, until their bodies can't function normally without it for more than an hour.

Answer 2

The science on whether caffeine is addicting or not is unresolved. There appears to be a caffeine dependence syndrome which encourages users to continue consumption but he equivalency of this to true addiction is questioned.

Caffeine increases blood pressure (a health hazard for some) and elevate neural activity in many parts of the brain. These effects reduce sleepiness which is the main effect attributed to caffeine. This is done by caffeine's ability to block the binding sites for adenosine, a neurotransmitter which has a calming effect. Mechanically it fits into the same receptors which accept adenosine even better than the chemical intended to bind there. Caffeine also raises the level of other chemicals known to cause excitement, (adrenaline, adrenal hormone cortisol, and lactate). These changes decrease reaction times and lead to greater alertness.