eli5: How is caffeine pretty much harmless in moderation when other stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines so hard on the body and brain?
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They affect different systems in the brain. For the most part people don’t get severely addicted to caffeine. Maybe a little but not like Meth. That is because caffeine works on adenosine receptors and doesn’t involve a lot of dopamine release, more just a feeling of wakefulness. Meth and Cocaine ultimately do affect the dopamine release and that is related to both it addictive qualities and the development of tolerance requiring more and more for the same effects. However with proper dosages drugs similar to meth can be used to treat some mental health conditions. But with addicts they are taking a lot more which can cause toxicity in the brain and health issues from not sleeping and other effects.
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