Awaiting clinical review. This entry is sourced but has not yet been signed off by a pharmacist or clinician.

Matricaria chamomilla (flower)

Chamomile

Chamomile extract shows modest, inconsistent benefit for generalised anxiety and for self-rated sleep quality, but the trials are small and the evidence is limited; for digestion there is traditional use and no good trial evidence for chamomile alone. It is well tolerated at tea and trial doses, but people allergic to ragweed, daisies or other Asteraceae plants can react, sometimes severely. Most anxiety data come from one research group using a standardised extract, not from tea.

Written by

Healthy and Herbal editorial team

Updated

29 September 2026

Fresh chamomile flowers and a cup of chamomile tea

At a glance

Last reviewed 29 September 2026

Evidence

Limited

Best for

Generalised anxiety symptoms

Typical form & use

Extract 1,500 mg/day (GAD trials)

Onset

4+ weeks

Safety

Avoid if allergic to ragweed or daisy-family plants. 4 known interactions, most serious with blood thinners.

Check with your medications →

What it's used for

Evidence is rated per use. The same ingredient can be strong for one thing and traditional for another.

Use	Evidence	What the research shows
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms	Limited	In an 8-week placebo-controlled trial of 57 adults with mild to moderate GAD, chamomile extract lowered Hamilton Anxiety scores more than placebo, but only just (P = 0.047). In a later trial of 93 responders to 12 weeks of open-label extract (1,500 mg/day), symptoms stayed lower on chamomile than placebo, but the main outcome, time to relapse, was not significant (hazard ratio 0.52, 95% CI 0.20 to 1.33). A 2019 meta-analysis found a HAM-A improvement in GAD at 2 and 4 weeks but no difference in state (situational) anxiety across three trials.^1,3,4
Sleep quality	Limited	A 2024 meta-analysis of five trials found a lower Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score (weighted mean difference -1.88, 95% CI -3.46 to -0.31), but the trials disagreed widely (I2 = 88%). Sleep duration and sleep efficiency did not improve, and the review noted most trials relied on self-reported measures. The only insomnia-specific randomised trial in the 2019 review, and the NCCIH summary of it, found no benefit on insomnia severity.^1,2,7
Bloating and minor gut spasms	Traditional	The EU herbal regulator authorises chamomile flower as a traditional herbal medicine for minor bloating and spasms, expressly on the basis of long-standing use alone. NCCIH says chamomile on its own has not been shown to help infant colic or childhood diarrhoea. I found no systematic review of chamomile for adult digestive complaints.^6,7

How much

Ranges below are what studies used and what supplements commonly contain. They are not a recommendation for you. Start at the low end.

Anxiety trials

1,500 mg/day extract⁴

Pharmaceutical-grade extract, 500 mg capsules three times daily, used for 12 weeks then up to 26 weeks in the long-term trial. This is a standardised extract, not tea.

Tea for minor gut complaints (EU monograph)

1.5–4 g in 150 ml boiling water, 3–4 times daily⁶

For adults and adolescents, as a traditional-use herbal tea. The monograph gives no dose for sleep or anxiety.

How long

Consult a professional if symptoms last over 1 week^3,4,6

That is the monograph's advice for the traditional gut and other indications. Anxiety trials ran 8 to 38 weeks under clinical supervision.

Upper limit

Not established⁶

The monograph reports no cases of overdose but sets no upper limit.

Timing · The sources give no evidence-based time of day. Tea in the monograph is taken 3–4 times daily, and the extract in the anxiety trial was taken three times daily.With food? · The sources say nothing about taking chamomile with or without food.How long to trial · The anxiety trials assessed response over 8 to 12 weeks, and the meta-analysis found HAM-A changes by 2 to 4 weeks. Four weeks is a reasonable point to judge whether it is doing anything for you.

How people take it

Standardised extract (capsule)1,500 mg/day (500 mg three times daily) in GAD trialsThe form behind nearly all the anxiety evidence. Products on the shelf vary and may not match the trial extract.

Tea (infusion of dried flowers)1.5–4 g in 150 ml boiling water, 3–4 times dailyThe EU traditional-use dose for minor gut complaints. NCCIH considers amounts commonly found in tea likely safe. Tea has not been tested for anxiety in the trials cited here.

Liquid extract or tincturePer product, e.g. 3 ml in 150 ml water (EU monograph, 1:1 extract)Contains alcohol. Doses vary a lot between extract strengths, so follow the label.

Safety

Who should avoid

Allergy to ragweed, daisies or marigolds — EU monograph contraindicates use
Anyone taking warfarin — ask your prescriber first
Pregnancy and breastfeeding with extracts — safety not established
Kidney transplant patients on high doses — CYP450 interactions reported
Children under 6 months for tea — use not established

Known interactions

CautionBlood thinners — NCCIH lists warfarin as a documented interaction, and a case report describes internal bleeding in a warfarin-treated woman using chamomile tea and lotion; this is a single case and cause is unproven.

CautionImmunosuppressants — The EU monograph reports CYP450-based interactions in kidney-transplant patients taking high doses for around two months.

MonitorHormonal contraceptives — NCCIH notes possible estrogen-like effects that could reduce the effectiveness of birth control; this is a theoretical concern.

MonitorSedatives & sleep medication — NCCIH says chamomile might interact with other drugs such as sedatives, but no mechanism or trial is given.

Compare with

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Questions people ask

Does chamomile tea help you sleep?

Possibly a little, for self-rated sleep quality, but the evidence is mixed. A 2024 meta-analysis found a small improvement in sleep quality scores but no gain in sleep duration or efficiency, and the trials disagreed with each other. The one insomnia-specific trial reviewed by NCCIH found no benefit.

Does chamomile work for anxiety?

One placebo-controlled trial found a modest benefit in mild to moderate generalised anxiety, and a longer trial found lower symptoms on chamomile than placebo but no significant reduction in relapse. Both used a standardised extract, mostly from one research team, not tea. It is worth talking to a doctor before using it in place of treatment for diagnosed anxiety.

Can I take chamomile if I am allergic to ragweed?

The EU monograph contraindicates chamomile for anyone hypersensitive to plants of the Asteraceae (daisy) family, and NCCIH says reactions are more likely in people allergic to ragweed, daisies, marigolds or chrysanthemums. A 2025 review of adverse events found no allergic events in trials but six of eleven case reports involved allergy, including three anaphylactic reactions. If you have a ragweed allergy, skip it or ask an allergist.

Is chamomile safe with warfarin?

Treat it with caution and ask your prescriber. There is one published case of serious bleeding in a warfarin-treated woman using chamomile tea and lotion, and NCCIH lists warfarin as an interaction. A single case cannot prove cause, so the true risk is unknown.

Sources

Last reviewed 29 September 2026 · Next review March 2027 · How we rate evidence