Lenstore analyzed the possible symptoms in the short and long term, also revealing the ranking of the most “caffeinated” cities based on coffee consumption and the cost of a cup at the bar.
For many of us, the morning doesn’t start without a cup of coffee. To give us the charge is the caffeine, a substance that we also find in many other foods, such as tea, chocolate, energy drink and Coca Cola. His benefits are many: it lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes, protects against Alzheimer’s and dementia, even helps burn fat.
Although it is a valuable ally for health, caffeine can cause various problems if we consume too much of it. Lenstore has analyzed the possible symptoms short and long term, such as blurred vision, muscle aches and insomnia. It also reveals the ranking of cities more “caffeine addicted” based on the consumption of coffee and the cost of a cup at the bar.
What happens if we drink too much coffee? – A healthy adult should consume no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day, which is almost four cups of coffee. In Italy, the average per capita consumption of coffee is 3.7 kg. What are the risks we run if we don’t change our habits?
- Anxiety – Caffeine stimulates the production of adrenaline, the hormone behind the fight or flight reaction (in English fight or flight). Consuming excessively intensifies these effects, causing nervousness, anxiety and tension. It has also been shown to increase stress levels regardless of the dose ingested.
- Insomnia – If you love coffee, remember not to drink it before going to sleep. Caffeine, in fact, alters sleep cycles and prevents you from resting well (according to various researches it can remain in circulation for up to nine hours). Insomnia can cause many vision problems, such as dry eyes. To alleviate it, use moisturizing eye drops and avoid wearing contact lenses as much as possible.
- Migraine – Did you know that caffeine can both cause and cure migraines? This is supported by a survey conducted in the United Kingdom. In fact, 22% of respondents said they had a headache after taking caffeine, while 43% said the opposite. How is it possible? This substance narrows the blood vessels around the brain, reducing inflammation and thus bringing relief. Not surprisingly, it is present in many over-the-counter pain relievers. However, it is this same mechanism that can cause migraines. In fact, when you don’t take caffeine for some time, your blood vessels expand again and the pain returns.
- Dizziness and lightheadedness – Like other stimulants (for example tobacco), caffeine also reduces the blood supply to the brain and abusing it can make you dizzy and lightheaded.
- Muscle tremors – Too much caffeine can also cause various types of spasms, such as tremors in the eyelids or hands. Often these are just passing sensations, but sometimes they can mean that it is appropriate to reduce the consumption of coffee.
- Blood hypertension – Caffeine does not seem to affect the risk of heart disease, but according to several studies it increases blood pressure. That’s why you need to be careful about how much you take if you already have high blood pressure – if you abuse it, you may have a higher risk of heart attack or stroke.
- Hypertension and eyesight – High blood pressure can damage the tiny blood vessels that carry blood to the eyes. Retinopathy is a possible complication that affects the retina and can lead to blurred vision, eye bleeding, and even blindness. Hypertension is also responsible for various problems with the nervous system, which plays an important role in eye health. An example is choroidopathy, a disease that causes fluid to accumulate in the retina and impair vision. Various studies also show a correlation between excessive daily caffeine consumption and the risk of glaucoma for those with a genetic predisposition to high eye pressure. Symptoms of glaucoma are pain and redness in the eyes, seeing rings around a light source, and blurred vision. If left untreated, it can lead to blindness.
- Confusion and hallucinations – Irritability, anger, confusion: caffeine can trigger a series of strong emotions, even if it is not consumed for a certain period. The reactions range from difficulty concentrating to depression. If you notice that your mental health is affected, talk to your doctor. Furthermore, excessive consumption of coffee can raise stress levels (and therefore those of adrenaline) causing confusion or even hallucinations. On the other hand, caffeine withdrawal can often cause mental fog. If you have ever had these problems, it means that you need to start reducing your consumption of this substance.
- Blurred vision – Excessive consumption of caffeine can cause a sudden rise in blood sugar levels. Possible consequences are blurred vision, eye twitching, and potentially a burning or tingling sensation in the eye area.
The ranking of the capitals where the most coffee is drunk – To find out which are the 20 most “caffeinated” capitals, Lenstore examined various parameters: coffee consumption, the number of bars per square mile (2.59 km2) and the average cost of a cup of coffee. Let’s see the results.
The top 20 of the most caffeinated capitals
| Village | City | No. of bars | Bars per square mile (2.59 km2) | Bars for 10 square miles (25.9 km2) | Per capita consumption of coffee (kg) per year | Cost of a coffee (€) |
| Greece | Athens | 261 | 17,4 | 174,0 | 2,4 | 2,96 |
| Slovenia | Liked | 45 | 0,7 | 7,1 | 6,1 | 1,86 |
| Italia | Roma | 677 | 1,4 | 13,6 | 3,4 | 1,30 |
| Finland | Helsinki | 113 | 0,4 | 4,1 | 9,6 | 3,97 |
| Portugal | Lisbon | 169 | 4,3 | 43,3 | 2,6 | 1,78 |
| Hungary | Budapest | 340 | 1,7 | 16,7 | 3,1 | 1,51 |
| Sweden | Stockholm | 144 | 2,0 | 19,7 | 8,2 | 4,01 |
| Netherlands | Amsterdam | 186 | 2,2 | 21,9 | 6,7 | 3,53 |
| Iceland | Reykjavík | 41 | 0,4 | 3,9 | 9 | 4,15 |
| Costa Rica | Saint Joseph | 40 | 2,4 | 23,5 | 3,7 | 2,20 |
| Spain | Madrid | 484 | 2,1 | 20,8 | 3 | 2,02 |
| South Korea | Seoul | 2192 | 9,4 | 93,7 | 2,6 | 3,65 |
| Germania | Berlin | 689 | 2,0 | 20,0 | 5,2 | 3,05 |
| Colombia | Bogota | 156 | 0,3 | 2,5 | 1,4 | 1,11 |
| Austria | Vienna | 287 | 1,8 | 17,9 | 5,5 | 3,46 |
| Estonia | Tallinn | 71 | 1,1 | 11,5 | 4,2 | 2,81 |
| Belgium | Bruxelles | 68 | 1,1 | 10,8 | 4,9 | 3,15 |
| France | Paris | 287 | 7,0 | 70,0 | 3,2 | 3,83 |
| Czech Republic | Prague | 438 | 2,3 | 22,8 | 2,3 | 2,30 |
| Ireland | Dublin | 234 | 5,1 | 50,9 | 3,5 | 3,54 |
With 677 bars, Rome ranks third among the capitals where the most coffee is consumed, immediately after Berlin (689) and London (1570). The Eternal City is also one of the cheapest places in the world to have a coffee (€ 1.30), only beaten by Bogota (€ 1.11) and Istanbul (€ 1.13). Athens, on the other hand, ranks first as the most coffee-obsessed city in general. It has more than 174 bars per 10 square miles, followed by South Korea (94) and France (70).
But who drinks the most coffee? The Nordic countries dominate the top 10, where we find Finland, Iceland and Sweden. Finland even has an annual per capita consumption of 9.6 kg of coffee, more than three times that of countries such as the United Kingdom (1.7 kg), New Zealand (1.3 kg), the USA (3 , 1 kg) and France (3.2 kg). At the bottom of the ranking we find Turkey, with a per capita consumption of only 0.4 kg per year. Oddly enough, the US consumes less coffee than most other countries (3.1 kg) and the UK is in the bottom seven.
The 10 cities where a coffee is cheaper
| City | Village | Cost of a coffee (€) |
| Bogota | Colombia | 1,11 |
| Istanbul | Turkey | 1,13 |
| Roma | Italia | 1,30 |
| Budapest | Hungary | 1,51 |
| Lisbon | Portugal | 1,78 |
| Liked | Slovenia | 1,86 |
| Mexico City | Mexico | 2,00 |
| Madrid | Spain | 2,02 |
| Saint Joseph | Costa Rica | 2,20 |
| Bratislava | Slovakia | 2,21 |
Bogotà wins the title of cheapest city to have a coffee: it costs only € 1.11, almost a fifth of the price we find in Copenhagen (€ 5.35). In general, Europe and South America dominate the ranking: Rome, for example, is in third place with € 1.30.
The 10 cities with the highest number of bars per square mile (2.59 km2)
| City | Village | Bars per square mile (2.59 km2) |
| Athens | Greece | 17,4 |
| Seoul | South Korea | 9,4 |
| Paris | France | 7,0 |
| Tokyo | Japan | 6,0 |
| Dublin | Ireland | 5,1 |
| Lisbon | Portugal | 4,3 |
| London | United Kingdom | 2,6 |
| Copenaghen | Denmark | 2,5 |
| Saint Joseph | Costa Rica | 2,4 |
| Prague | Czech Republic | 2,3 |
Methodology – For the purposes of this study, Lenstore analyzed the long- and short-term effects of high caffeine consumption, both physically and psychologically. To find out in which capitals the most coffee is consumed, he then examined: the consumption of coffee per capita, the average cost of a coffee and the number of bars per square mile. Finally, he used Google Keyword Planner to obtain a seed list with the most popular types of coffee in 38 countries.
Nurse Times editorial team