Chamomile for anxiety is one of the most common reasons people reach for this gentle herbal remedy, and the science is starting to back that up.

A 2024 systematic review of 10 clinical trials found that 9 of them concluded chamomile is effective in reducing anxiety, making it one of the more promising natural options available. ¹ That said, researchers are still working to fully understand how it works, what dose is most effective, and who it’s best suited for.

This article covers what the current evidence actually shows, what side effects to be aware of, and how much chamomile you may need to see results.

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Key Highlights

• Chamomile for anxiety shows genuine promise – Research supports its use for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and hormonally driven anxiety, with consistent improvements in symptoms reported across multiple clinical trials.

• It’s safe for most people, but not everyone – Chamomile is well-tolerated for short-term use, but it can interact with blood thinners and sedatives, and warrants extra caution for anyone with plant-family allergies or who is pregnant.

• Form and timing both matter – Tea works well for mild, daily stress relief (expect a calming effect within 30–45 minutes), while standardized capsule extracts are better suited for managing persistent anxiety symptoms.

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Table of Contents

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What is Chamomile?

Chamomile is a flowering herb in the Asteraceae family, the same family as daisies and sunflowers. It grows across much of the world and is easy to recognize: small white petals surround a yellow center on a thin stem.

People have used chamomile for thousands of years. Records of its use for anxiety relief and digestive complaints stretch back to ancient Rome, Greece, and Egypt, where it appeared in essential oils and traditional remedies. ²

Today, two species are used medicinally:

• German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) – the more widely studied of the two
• Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) – also called English chamomile

While herbal tea is the most familiar form, chamomile is also available as capsules, liquid extracts, and topical preparations.

How Does Chamomile Affect the Body?

Chamomile contains a flavonoid called apigenin, and that’s where most of its effects on the body appear to originate.

Research suggests apigenin produces calming effects by binding to GABA receptors in the brain (the same receptors targeted by many anti-anxiety medications). ³ Its flavonoid compounds may also influence noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin neurotransmission, as well as the body’s stress hormone pathway (the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis).

Human clinical studies using chamomile extract (which contains apigenin as its active ingredient) have reported reductions in anxiety, mood improvements, and pain relief.

Beyond anxiety, chamomile has traditionally been used to address a wide range of conditions, including:

• Acne and minor skin conditions (eczema, psoriasis)
• Digestive issues (stomach ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease)
• Gum inflammation (gingivitis)
• Sore throat and chest colds
• Insomnia and sleep disruption
• Minor first-degree burns and abscesses

It’s worth noting that much of the supporting evidence for these uses still comes from animal studies. Human trials are growing in number, but researchers are still working to confirm effective doses and identify which populations benefit most.

Can You Use Chamomile for Anxiety?

Yes, you can use chamomile for anxiety. However, the research is still developing, and results vary depending on the type and severity of anxiety you’re experiencing.

Anxiety symptoms are one of the most common reasons people turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy. ⁴ Chamomile is a natural go-to because it’s widely available, affordable, and has a long history of use as a calming herb.

The most studied application is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a condition marked by persistent, excessive worry that’s difficult to control. A randomized controlled trial found that chamomile extract produced a clinically meaningful reduction in GAD symptoms over 8 weeks, with a response rate comparable to conventional anxiolytic drug therapy. ⁵

Other research has found that participants who continued chamomile therapy maintained significantly lower GAD symptoms, along with meaningful reductions in body weight and mean arterial blood pressure.

A more recent 2024 systematic review found benefits beyond GAD as well, including reduced anxiety in women during their menstrual cycle. ¹ It also noted that in patients with co-occurring depression, chamomile showed antidepressant activity alongside its calming effects.

That said, not every study has produced clear results. A meta-analysis of 12 randomized controlled trials found chamomile to be efficacious and safe for sleep quality and GAD specifically, but found little evidence to support its effect on general state anxiety and insomnia. ⁶ In other words, chamomile shows real promise, but it’s not a blanket solution for every anxiety-related concern.

Chamomile Side Effects and Safety

Chamomile is generally considered safe for short-term use. The FDA classifies it as GRAS (“generally recognized as safe”), and it’s approved for over-the-counter use in most countries. That said, long-term safety data is still limited, so it’s worth knowing what to watch for.

Common side effects of chamomile include:

• Allergic reaction
• Dizziness
• Nausea

In rare cases, chamomile can trigger anaphylaxis, a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. ⁷ People who are allergic to ragweed, daisies, marigolds, or chrysanthemums are at higher risk, since these plants share proteins with chamomile. If you have any of these allergies, check with your healthcare provider before using chamomile in any form.

Drug interactions are another consideration. Documented interactions include: ⁸

• Cyclosporine (used to prevent organ transplant rejection)
• Warfarin(a blood thinner)

Chamomile may also amplify the effects of sedatives, antidepressants, and anti-seizure medications, potentially causing excessive drowsiness when combined. If you take any prescription medication, talk to your doctor before adding chamomile to your routine.

Chamomile Dosage Recommendation

Because herbal alternatives for anxiety aren’t regulated by the FDA, there’s no official standard dose for chamomile. The amounts below are based on clinical research and represent the ranges most commonly studied.

Form	Typical Dose	Notes
Tea	1 – 2 cups daily	Pre-dosed in standard tea bags; brew in 8 oz of hot water
Capsules	22 – 1500 mg/day	Research-supported range; split into smaller doses if taking higher amounts
Liquid Extract	Varies by concentration	Follow product labeling; no standardized clinical dose established
Topical / Aromatherapy	No standard dose	Applied to skin or diffused; limited clinical guidance available

For anxiety specifically, the most commonly studied dose is 1500 mg per day of pharmaceutical-grade chamomile extract (typically taken as three 500 mg capsules throughout the day). At this dose, chamomile was well-tolerated with no severe adverse events reported across clinical trials. ¹

How Long Does it Take for Chamomile Tea to Calm You Down?

Chamomile tea generally takes 30 to 45 minutes to produce a noticeable calming effect after drinking it. If you’re using it to wind down before bed, aim to drink it 45 to 60 minutes before sleep. That gives the active compounds enough time to work before you’re ready to rest.

How Many Cups of Chamomile Tea a Day for Anxiety?

There’s no set daily limit for chamomile tea. Clinical trials that used tea as the intervention typically used 1 to 2 cups per day, so that’s a reasonable starting point.

The more useful question is when to drink it. Think about when anxiety tends to hit you hardest:

• Morning or during the workday? A cup with breakfast or mid-morning can take the edge off before stress builds.
• At night? A cup before bed works double duty; it may ease anxious thoughts and help you fall asleep.

How Strong of a Sedative is Chamomile Tea?

Chamomile is a mild sedative at best. It’s calming rather than sleep-inducing, which makes it a good daily option for low-grade anxiety but less useful if you need stronger sleep support.

If you’re looking for something with a more sedative effect, other herbal options (like valerian root, melatonin, or lavender) tend to produce stronger results. These are worth discussing with your healthcare provider if chamomile alone isn’t enough.

Final Word

Chamomile for anxiety won’t replace therapy or medication. However, it’s a low-risk, accessible way to take the edge off daily stress.

A simple place to start: swap your morning coffee for chamomile tea. Chamomile contains no caffeine, while coffee can trigger jitteriness and heightened anxiety in some people, so the switch alone may help before the herb even kicks in. If tea doesn’t move the needle, capsule extracts at a higher dose tend to deliver stronger results.

Chamomile is generally safe for most people to try. If you have allergies to ragweed, daisies, or chrysanthemums (or if you’re on blood thinners or sedatives), check with your doctor first.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References

¹ Saadatmand S, Zohroudi F, Tangestani H. The Effect of Oral Chamomile on Anxiety: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials. Clin Nutr Res. 2024 Apr 23;13(2):139-147. doi: 10.7762/cnr.2024.13.2.139. PMID: 38784853; PMCID: PMC11109927.

² Srivastava JK, Shankar E, Gupta S. Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. Mol Med Rep. 2010 Nov 1;3(6):895-901. doi: 10.3892/mmr.2010.377. PMID: 21132119; PMCID: PMC2995283.

³ Salehi B, Venditti A, Sharifi-Rad M, Kręgiel D, Sharifi-Rad J, Durazzo A, Lucarini M, Santini A, Souto EB, Novellino E, Antolak H, Azzini E, Setzer WN, Martins N. The Therapeutic Potential of Apigenin. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Mar 15;20(6):1305. doi: 10.3390/ijms20061305. PMID: 30875872; PMCID: PMC6472148.

⁴ Mao JJ, Li QS, Soeller I, Rockwell K, Xie SX, Amsterdam JD. Long-Term Chamomile Therapy of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Study Protocol for a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo- Controlled Trial. J Clin Trials. 2014 Nov;4(5):188. doi: 10.4172/2167-0870.1000188. Epub 2014 Oct 9. PMID: 29057164; PMCID: PMC5650245.

⁵ Amsterdam JD, Li Y, Soeller I, Rockwell K, Mao JJ, Shults J. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral Matricaria recutita (chamomile) extract therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2009 Aug;29(4):378-82. doi: 10.1097/JCP.0b013e3181ac935c. PMID: 19593179; PMCID: PMC3600416.

⁶ Mao JJ, Xie SX, Keefe JR, Soeller I, Li QS, Amsterdam JD. Long-term chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized clinical trial. Phytomedicine. 2016 Dec 15;23(14):1735-1742. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2016.10.012. Epub 2016 Oct 24. PMID: 27912875; PMCID: PMC5646235.

⁷ Subiza J, Subiza JL, Hinojosa M, Garcia R, Jerez M, Valdivieso R, Subiza E. Anaphylactic reaction after the ingestion of chamomile tea: a study of cross-reactivity with other composite pollens. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1989 Sep;84(3):353-8. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(89)90420-x. PMID: 2674263.

⁸ Levy I, Attias S, Ben-Arye E, Goldstein L, Schiff E. Adverse events associated with interactions with dietary and herbal supplements among inpatients. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2017 Apr;83(4):836-845. doi: 10.1111/bcp.13158. Epub 2016 Nov 25. PMID: 27759172; PMCID: PMC5346861.