How does caffeine make you more alert and work as a cognitive enhancer if it reduces blood flow to the brain?

Question

I’ve just read that a 250mg dose of caffeine can reduce blood flow to the brain by 22%-30%.

It seems counter intuitive to me that a chemical that restricts blood flow to the organ responsible for all mental operations actually improves our mental functioning.

There’s probably a simple answer but 22-30% seems like it would significantly impair the brain’s functioning

In: 129

Answer 1

It acts as a neurotransmitter, the fluid that carrier electrical signals between an axon of a neuron and a dendrite of another one.