Five Drinks That Are Bad For Your Voice
Drinks to avoid when you’re singing
1. Green tea
A lot of people ask me ‘Nicola, is Green Tea good for your voice?’. Well, although green tea is generally good for you; it’s packed with antioxidants and has a plethora of other health benefits, for singers, it’s not the best drink to consume during singing practice.
Green team actually has a really drying effect on the throat and reduces the lubrication around your vocal folds making you more susceptible to developing things like a sore throat (at best) or a vocal node (at worst).
So does that mean you have to avoid drinking green tea altogether? Not at all. I drink green tea every day at breakfast, I just make sure I reach for a different type of drink when I’m singing.
2. Milk
Unless you are lactose intolerant, milk is pretty good for you. It is packed with calcium and it has been debated that it can actually help with weight loss. However, milk is the #1 cause for phlegm build up in singers and phlegm is every singer’s worst enemy.
It sticks to the back of your throat and nasal cavity requiring you to clear your throat when you are singing. Sometimes phlegm can cause your voice to sound as if it is cracking; which is actually your air breaking through the phlegm at the back of your throat.
Those with a tendency to sound nasal sound also steer clear of all milky drinks because it can exacerbate the problem. Milk and singing just don’t mix.
3. Beer and wine
It is common practice to be given a bar tab when you are performing but steer clear of wine and beer as both can affect your singing in different ways. Wine is generally packed with preservatives which dry out your throat. Depending on the brand and quality of the wine, this is not quite as bad as green tea, but you generally don’t want to do anything that will affect the quality of your voice so try a rum or brandy instead.
Beer (or anything carbonated for that matter) causes bloating and gas and you don’t want either when you’re up on stage singing into a mic. When you sing, you need to keep your stomach muscles relaxed so you can use your diaphragm to breathe. If you are bloated, you feel tight around this area and your breathing will suffer.
And as for gas? Well it speaks for itself. If you’re singing into a microphone, the audience can hear every little noise you make and it’s really not attractive trying to stifle a belch during a romantic ballad!
4. Ice cubes (or any cold water)
Avoid ice in your drink because anything cold is not good for your vocal folds. Think of singing like you would playing sport. You want to be nice and warm before you go for that massive sprint to avoid injury. Same goes for singing. I prefer to drink warm tea during a gig, (preferably peppermint or licorice root tea; both are fabulous for singers. Click here to see my full list of Natural Home Remedies for singers.)
5. Garlic
Well, this a food not a drink and we’re actually talking vocal hygiene here but if you think about how close your mouth gets to the mic and how long you spend breathing into that one spot, it makes sense to steer clear of super smelly foods like garlic before you do a gig.
Many singers use their own mics at gigs and it’s for this very reason. I personally don’t like putting my lips on someone else’s leftover bacteria and I’m pretty sure you won’t either. Garlic can leave a lingering smell on your microphone, so unless you are prepared to clean your mic thoroughly with each use, choose another dinner companion.
Nicola x
I hope you enjoyed this list of drinks that are bad for your voice when you’re singing. Let me know if this helped you in the comments below, or if you have another drink that you think should be added to this list.
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Actually I just found out today that cold drinks do not affect the larynx at all. They pass clear down the pharynx with no contact and by the time it reaches the larynx it is 98.6 degrees Celsius.
Hi Keziah, Thanks for going the extra mile and doing that research! 🙂 Food and drink pass through the pharynx, into your esophagus and eventually reach your stomach. However the pharynx as a whole is part of your digestive system which also includes your larynx. If you really want to know how it all works I’d recommend asking a medical professional, but I can tell you that as a professional singer what you drink does effect your voice. Some drinks cause your voice to go dry and scratchy because they reduce lubrication, some cause too much phlegm which leads to glugginess and some are good for your voice because they reduce phlegm and increase lubrication. I hope that helps! xx
I actually drink warm, DEcaffeinated Green Tea with some honey whenever my voice gets Dry/Stressed from singing for a prolonged period of time. It not only has its healing properties (due to having naturally high amounts of Antioxidants), but also relaxes and soothes the throat GREATLY. I found through experience that this heals my stressed or dry vocal cords to an extent that water really can not. If you’re speaking from personal experience regarding your history with green tea, you may experience a dryness to your vocal cords due to the fact that the tea you purchase is 1) Caffeinated or 2) Contains a variety of different herbs/ingredients other than being 100% All-Natural Green Tea.
I suggest you find a trusted brand of All-Natural DEcaffeinated Green Tea and have a cup before and after singing and I can guarantee that you’ll reap the benefits immediately. (:
Tannins are present in green tea, and they are what cause the dry mouth feeling in many people, same as red wine. Perhaps you are simply less susceptible to the astringent effects of tea.
I assume the reason that green tea do not dry your vocal chords becuase of the honey you added. It neutralizes the green tea’d property.
Totally true, My mom she drink green tea with honey added every day for her throat cleaning, and it does a good effect. with the honey inside, it won’t make you feel dry out in your throat.
Nice.
I am a new singer not yet stable and my voice dries up wherever I sing PLEASE help
A really good drink of water 10 minutes before you sing hydrates your vocal folds.
Drinks with honey or lemon are pretty good for throats I heard, and you can always drink lots of water when/before singing, although I have the same problem but then again I’m really dehydrated…
Stay calm ,new singer’s will experience nervousness and be fearful of making errors or of not producing the sound you want. With experience you will begin to trust your technique, acquired over many hours of practice. Then you won’t get nervous. Good luck I always told myself before a performance that it isn’t brain surgery and it will be over in 3 hours.
Please is Lipton good for my cracked voice
My favourites for pre and post show soothing are aloe vera water, sweetened pineapple juice and the Bickfords lime cordial. Tastes like lemon lime and bitters, but without the carbonation!
Thanks Nicola for the enlightenment. But you didn’t specify what is good for the voice.
Helpper a lot.
I can add something else: sugary drinks, or anything sugary, for that matter. I’m speaking from personal experience. If I try to sing when my vocal cords are “sugar-coated,” I can barely get any sound at all. Similar to the way you described trying to sing after drinking milk.
And iced or cold drinks do affect my ability to sing.
mouthwash
thank you will take note
98.6 Celsius would be 209 Fahrenheit.Normal human body temperature is 98.6 Fahrenheit or 37 Celsius.
.
My problem is that I am 76 and I work at a grocery store and I sing the alphabet to the children and I will say about 98% love it! I couldn’t sing most of my life until I had my ears bloom out! I have a stigmatize and lazy eye and my memorizing a sing gives me a lot of Trouble any suggestions??
Holy poop on a stick!!!! 98.6 degrees Celsius! I’ll stay away from cold water. Thank you!
My voice crack when am singing a high a tone
It’s only after/before singing or I must avoid milk at all?
It depends because everyone is different. I drink milk all the time and only avoid it during singing (or just before).
How about Lipton Tea
But Billy Joel sings in Piano Man that the microphone smells like a beer.
lol! He’s right! Microphones are breeding grounds for bacteria which is why I ALWAYS use my own. All those singers spitting and breathing onto the mic and putting their lips onto it… ewww! Not nice. Rehearsal room mics are the worst.
It is just a song — a musical out of fiction. Even so, just because some singers do drink while singing doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
Fans often by the band a round, I typically take a few sips and then set it aside for later ( after the show, when you really need it) so not to offend them but keep my voice cleaner and my head clearer.
Sometimes, in a bar or other drinking environment, Alcohol works as an “Ice Breaker” with an audience and we sometimes find that alcohol becomes a “Stage Prop”. Maintaining the fine line between entertaining and becoming another drunk on stage an exercise in self control and self awareness.
Bands like the Clash or Quiet Riot were know to have Iced-Tea in there Jack Daniels bottles, which some consider “lame”. As a fan, I’d rather see/hear that then to see a band with serious alcoholic issues (there are certainly a few of those) Seeing Aerosmith live after 1987 (@ when they sobered up) is a real treat compared to seeing them in the 70’s when they were wasted on stage.
anyway, certain flavors of Gatorade hydrate you (of course) and also help keep you from drying out in the throat and mouth. Try a few to see which one works for you as some flavors DO dry your throat out, mostly due to the flavorings they employ, I drink mine at room temperature.. I know, Gatorade does have way too much sugar 🙂
Very interesting tip on the green tea. I’m not a singer, but I had become a regular consumer of green tea over the past few years, and noticed my speaking voice becoming quite weak. Took me some time to make the connection, but eventually switched to peppermint tea, and had a marked improvement. I’m sure everyone’s a bit different, but green tea and my voice were an especially bad mix.
I think what Mr Nicola said about voice treatments are great but how can i get the peppermint tea mixed to make my voice nice and sweeten?
MR Nicola??!!!! lol
Wow I had no idea about green tea!! Good to know.
I don’t know what can i do my voice is very bad please help to in my problem
Can you please tell whether mousambi juice is good or bad for voice because i used to take 1 glass mousambi juice every day because it is good for health but i dont know whether it is good for voice also ..please help if u can .
Like you said about green tea, it has a lot of health benefits but it is better to avoid it right before you have to sing.
Nice article
It’s interesting, so many articles claim that the quality of the “honey” is important and the temperatures of the beverages as well. I have been singing with Metal bands now for 30 years, and it has only been recently that I am experiencing dry throat .
I do The Aloe/ honey sprays which I make myself .I no longer drink alcohol. I find lemon does NOT work for me .
How often before a show should I steam ?
Is there a natural / over the counter nasal spray you can use ? I have found out the hard way that most nasal sprays WILL dry you out. Any decongestant for that matter
Anything anyone has tried to relieve congestion besides steaming at showtime ?
I’ve found nasal sprays really dry the throat out so I can’t recommend one. The best decongestant however is Eucalyptus Oil. It seriously works and its potent! Peppermint tea also reduced phlegm and doing a regular nasal rinse will work wonders. You could also ask your doctor about going on a mild antihistamine if your congestion is pollen related.
I found saline spray to help.Also white tea,which is the youngest part of the leaf, is a good substitute for green tea drinkers. They are correct that green tea has additives,it’s true form macha, is generally too bitter for most, but has a better effect on the body.Using honey is a good sweetner,but make sure you have pure,good quality honey.Because good honey, and there are many variations, is expensive, many grab the bears etc, that may just be honey flavored upon closer exam. As to choosing your throat, sore throat, chest congestion, I’ve used several things over the years, some home remedies. A few examples: make a gallon of water by adding lemongrass and a couple slices of lemon, bring to boil, refrigerate. Keep a bottle w you and drink after room temp all day.A few tblspoons Peppermint Schnapps, 100proof, slightly warmed if possible for congestion or the night before performance. If you are really unlucky to get chest cold and sore throat, an old AWFUL tasting tbsp of a mixture called Rock and Rye from ABC store, that has had extra honey and lemon added. Shake bottle first, afterwards a steamy shower or sit in bathroom with shower running, if you don’t have access to humidifier(who hasn’t been sick away from the comforts of home?). Another thing that has always helped me, and this came from my 90y/o grandma years ago, was horehound candy and warm water plain. This was something they used up in the mountainous area she grew up in, where doctors weren’t available, but instead herbalist. Last thing,yogi throat comfort tea, and republic of tea Get Soothed tea. They both have things like marshmallow root, licorice root, slippery elm etc. The latter site has a few choices for sickness or avoiding. Happy singing.
Yes I sing with a rock band, found lemon is a complete no, no. Will not drink wine or beer. Like the info about green tea. Singing at a Chinese restaurant but usually just drink water. The idea that the ice tonic ice water is interesting. Didn’t feel bloated. Honey had always been good. Going to try peppermint tea. Cheers
Fisherman Friend’s cough drops will open your nasal cavities better than anything. Used to be found at any convienence (sp) store. Now mostly Walgreens, I order mine from Amazon, and get them by the box load. I got so I was addicted to nose spray(had to use more and more, but pop in a FF, and your sinuses will open up immediately.
I have also found green tea to be drying to the voice and lemon doesnt seem to help either
Honey ia a great natural lubricant- as in warm honey water
I find that licorice tea is the best lubricant-decongestant/expectorant and I always try to have some before a show or between sets
For serious nasal or throat congestion nothing beats gargling or snorting saltwater
Milk makes mucous
I avoid dairy products because they have been stripped of nutrients And- I am not a cow
(Although I have been called a pig)
I also find wine to be drying and some beers to be bloating
I do like a drink or 2 during a show
Liquor is quicker to relax you
I generally prefer Jaegermeister – more of that heavenly black licorice
There is nothing on here about diet which i feel is crucial to optimum performance
Alkalize
A day or two eating nothing but fruit will do wonders for your overall well being
Alcohol can easily make your voice dry out and get a sore throat, you can not even sing the next day, you’ll easy to get inflammation in next few days. How does it help to relax you? It’s totally harmful.
I have found a hot water and Manuka Honey is an excellent way to warm up and sooth before a concert…about two tbs in a half a mug of hot water and dissolve it all before drinking…Manuka is a all natural product and has mega healing and soothing properties for the throat. I also drink loads of water before, after and during a session and avoid wine, beer, fizzy drinks but i do sometimes have a glass of port as i find this helps the throat well.
Thank you for the post about green tea
Do you have any information on white tea?
Is garlic not good for vocal?
This list was for drinks so I didn’t include garlic. It doesn’t effect me either which way though.
Hey but I have been told that green tea is very good for healing voices and a blessing for singers! What should i do . Shall I quit it? I started drinking green tea recently only.
I have a party tomorrow at noon and have my auditions in the evening.I really wanna drink beer but don’t know whether I’ll be able to sing later .Do suggest me .Thank you
I have to say that this has bremember one of the most educative, professional and ethical blog I have come across.The energy of collaboration and great intentions is awesome! I’m Spanish amd my dream has always been to sing because when I do I feel like the real me comes out and shine.I can’t afford many of the things required for me to start my singing journey. I just move back home, jobless, mindless and no support from anyone. I feel like a ghost because people around me don’t see me. They pass me by. My mom passed last year and it’s been like I died w her. I went to karaoke in my neighborhood but I got stage freight. I’m not a natural singer. I was not born with the gift or the talent but singing it’s what keeps me wanting to stay in this world. Even these days if you want to sing in church you jave to audition. And I’m in a more esoteric path so church singing is not my ambition. Thank you for allowing me to share part of my story. But sometimes I feel that if I can’t sing I’ll rather not be here becauae it is what moves me amd what makes me feel whole.
Thanks for sharing your story. This is my first time hearing, you even need to audition to sing at church…
As I usually tell people, so far as you have a voice & can speak & people will hear, you can sing as well. Don’t look down on yourself because people look down on you. If they don’t recognise your voice today, doesn’t mean you don’t have, keep at it like no one’s business, do it with sincere heart & thought. At the opportune time you will shine.
Lots of love to all
By the way I am Latino and love to sing salsa and romantic songs.
Tequila helps me sound better.
When I sang in bars and taverns, the more my audience drank the better I sounded. I never drank alcohol when I performed. Thinking back, perhaps I should have. I might have appreciated the audience more.
Tequila makes everything sound better.
I would respectfully debate your statement that wine is “packed with preservatives” that dry out your throat. Wine does have trace amounts of sulfites added to hinder spoilage, but that’s not what causes the problem.
Saliva contains proteins whose primary function is to help lubricate your throat and your food. Tannin in red wine binds with the proteins and washes them away, resulting in astringency in the mouth and throat. So, yep, stay away from red wine, but not for the reason you mentioned.
This is very instructive and informative!
Thank you colleagues!
thnx fr evething
I learned many year ago. That using hot tea, a shot of Brandy, Lemon juice and Honey mixed together and warmed up, will do wonders for your voice. I’ve been using it for years before i sing.
How often do I have to practice as i want to be a worship singer…
I have a problem with throat tickling and itching that cause chronic cough.
Room temperature water works best for me. Simple readily available, and it works.
I heard apparently honey and lemon tea is supposed to be good for your vocal cords.
I know you’re not supposed to have dairy, but is it okay to drink honey and lemon tea with a drop of milk? I don’t like my tea black.
Lemon will mske milk curdle.
I love singing, and each time i sing miracles happen, but i don’t have a good voice, i need help, i don’t mind buying any of your books and attend your classes..
Any recommendations for mouth wash? I love the brand Smart Mouth, but it really dries my mouth out. Uncomfortably so. Thanks.
I have been using Lemon/Ginger tea with honey at room temp. Seems to lubricate and sooth my throat during a 2 hr. practice…
Thanks!!! I do a lot of theater, especially during the summer and this really helped me out.
Ginger tea has become very popular for digestion and other ailments and I love it. However, I have discovered when I bring it to choir rehearsal ( mixed with lemon *) it is very drying to my throat. I have known for some time that lemon is no good for me. It just seems to irritate my throat. I think it must be drying. So, why on earth did I bring this mixture of ginger and lemon tea to rehearsal? I think I had a brain cramp. Whenever we are able to start choir up again. I’ll bring mint tea.