Caffeine definitely picks you up but is usually not addictive, according to new research by a French medical team working at the French National Health and Medical Research Institute, INSERM, in Strasbourg.
At doses of one to three cups of coffee a day, caffeine has no effect on the area of the brain involved with addiction and dependence, the group found. The drug in moderation contributed to increased alertness and energy in the study of laboratory animals, but did not bring about dependence at those levels.
Even at low doses known addictive drugs triggered activity in brain areas associated with addiction, the researcher said. Caffeine did not have this effect.
