Common people have many questions in their mind regarding what voice actors eat and drink like “Do voice actors also drink tea or coffee?”, “Is it good for their throat and voice?”, Does it help them?”, “Does tea or coffee have a bad effect on their voice?”, etc.So, this article is dedicated to voice artists and whether they drink tea and coffee like everyone else.

To start with, voice artists are also humans and like anyone else, they also like to drink tea and coffee. However, tea is preferred over coffee by voice actors as coffee is considered to have adverse effects on the vocal cords. On the contrary, tea is not harmful for the throat and many singers and voice artists drink tea as a tonic or comforter to the throat. Many of them just drink tea for pleasure as well.

Tea

Tea, as said, works in favor and not against their voice, most voice actors prefer drinking tea instead of coffee, even though they may personally be a fan of coffee. There are certain types of tea which are in fact, said to be beneficial for people in this field like Tulsi tea (medicinal basil), peppermint tea, etc. A few voice actors have even given their own testimonials that they find tea very invigorating, rejuvenating and comforting for their vocal cords.

Coffee

Coming to coffee, almost all the people in the field of voice jobs unanimously suggest not to consume coffee. The reason is that coffee is said to make the folds in the vocal cords dry and as a result, it makes the voice croaky. Coffee contains caffeine and caffeine is a big enemy of your voice. However, a vocal actor may have coffee once in a blue moon or so. It’s not like one has to prohibit coffee completely. Frequent consumption should be avoided though.

There are many more types of food and drinks which may not be permitted for a voice actor’s diet. As many are curious to know what type of food or drinks can be good or bad for their throat, let us have a look at those.

What type of food or drink is healthy for vocal cords and can be consumed by voice actors/ artists?

The best foods to keep your voice healthy and in a good condition are:

• Milk – You can have milk at room temperature or in lukewarm condition. Try to avoid having chilled milk, especially within a day before your voice task is to be performed, as anything below room temperature can make your throat sore.
• Lukewarm tea – Well! Tea does no harm to your throat. In fact, it is a great tonic to comfort your strained vocal cords. There are many kinds of tea available around. So, you must know which ones are the best for your voice. Herbal tea, Medicinal Basil tea (Tulsi as known in India) and peppermint tea are good options to choose from. You can also have warm English tea. Iced tea is a big No for voice artists as it is chilled.
• Melons and cantaloupes – You can eat a plenty of melons and cantaloupes as they are mostly water and keeps you hydrated, which ensures that your vocal cords are also not dry.
• Water – Make sure to drink adequate amount of water throughout the day as staying hydrated is very important for our throat. You may have noticed how the slightest irritation in throat can be caused due to dryness and that drinking a glass of water helps it quickly subside. Hence, drink at least 4-5 glasses or 2-3 liters of water in a day. Drink lukewarm or room-temperature water. Lukewarm water helps to keep your voice nice and sharp. Avoid drinking too warm or cold water in any situation.
• Rice, Apples and other fruits (Avoid frequent consumption of citrus fruits as they dry the vocal cords), almonds, chicken, eggs and whole grains are go-to food items for a voice artist.

Food items that are enemies of your voice are:

1. Cold or iced water
2. Carbonated drinks or sparkling water
3. Coffee or caffeine-rich drinks
4. Alcohols
5. Acidic fruits and vegetables like orange, grapefruit, tomato, lemon, etc.
6. Too much of onion and garlic (increases the acid level in the body)
7. Fat-rich and oily food like potato or corn chips should be avoided.
8. Avoid food items having high-sugar content.

If you take care of your diet, you can keep your voice in a healthy condition for a long time and it will not ditch you so easily. So, tea is highly recommended for voice artists where coffee is not considered beneficial. However, there are around 10% such voice artists who can’t do without coffee and they find coffee perfectly harmless. Make your choice judiciously.