Why Some Folks Just Gotta Have Their Coffee

Some people just have to have their coffee in the morning…and in at lunch and in the evening. Why is coffee so addictive? Everyone knows it’s the caffeine, but what is it about caffeine?

Every coffee drinker knows about that pleasant stimulant buzz that comes from caffeine. But regular caffeine consumption reduces sensitivity to caffeine; in other words, one builds up a tolerance, and more is needed to get the same effect.

The real problem begins when caffeine intake is reduced and the body becomes oversensitive to adenosine, causing blood pressure to drop dramatically, causing an excess of blood in the head. This in turn leads to a nasty caffeine headache that can last up to 5 days, which may be alleviated with analgesics (several of which contain caffeine dosages) such as aspirin.

Additional withdraw symptoms include being irritable, nervous, restless, sleepy and in extreme cases, nausea and even vomiting.