NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Chamomile

Matricaria chamomilla

A gentle herbal tea with modest evidence for anxiety and sleep.

Moderate evidence 🌙Sleep & Mood

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
9 verified / 9
Classification
Sleep & Mood
❝
What the evidence says. Graded moderate: several RCTs show real but modest reductions in generalized-anxiety and small gains in sleep quality, yet trials are short, often small, and benefits for state anxiety, insomnia severity and relapse prevention were not significant. (Moderate evidence: Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.)

What is Chamomile?

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is a sleep and mood supplement used for ease generalized anxiety. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. Chamomile is a daisy-family flower long taken as a calming tea. The best human data are for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): a placebo-controlled trial found a modest but significant drop in anxiety scores, and a longer trial confirmed reduced symptoms (though it did not prevent relapse). A 2019 meta-analysis concluded chamomile is efficacious for GAD and sleep quality but found no benefit for state anxiety and only one weak trial for insomnia. A 2024 sleep meta-analysis found a small improvement in PSQI sleep-quality scores (about 1.9 points) but no change in sleep duration or efficiency. Small trials also report lower HbA1c and fasting glucose in type 2 diabetes, but these need confirmation. Overall the effects are real but mild, trials are short (mostly 2–8 weeks) and often small, so chamomile is a reasonable gentle adjunct rather than a proven treatment.

Purported Benefits

✓Ease generalized anxiety
✓Improve sleep quality
✓Calm before bed
✓Lower blood sugar (early signal)

Evidence by outcome

The same supplement can be well-proven for one use and unproven for another — here is the human evidence graded outcome by outcome.

OutcomeEvidenceEffectStudies
Ease generalized anxiety (GAD)RCTs and a meta-analysis show modest HAM-A reduction in GAD; no effect on state anxiety and trials are short. Moderate ↑ benefit · small 3
Improve sleep quality2024 meta-analysis: PSQI improved ~1.9 points but no change in sleep duration or efficiency; benefit may not persist. Moderate ↑ benefit · small 2
Lower fasting glucose & HbA1c (T2DM)Small trials and a meta-analysis show lower FBG/HbA1c, but few studies; authors call for confirmation. Preliminary ↑ benefit · moderate 2

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
220–1500 mg/day of standardized extract (often 1.2% apigenin), or 1–3 cups of tea (3 g dried flower per cup); extract trials used 500 mg three times daily.
Active Compounds
ApigeninBisabololChamazuleneLuteolin

Safety & Cautions

Chamomile is generally well tolerated; the main risk is allergic reaction (rarely anaphylaxis) in people sensitive to ragweed, daisies, marigolds or chrysanthemums. It may add to the effect of sedatives and has documented interaction with the blood thinner warfarin (increased bleeding risk via coumarin content), so use caution with anticoagulants and around surgery. Because small trials show it can lower blood glucose, monitor closely if you take antidiabetic drugs; avoid concentrated medicinal doses in pregnancy. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Chamomile with any medicine.

Chamomile drug interactions

Known or theoretical interactions between Chamomile and common medications — educational, not exhaustive. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Chamomile with any medicine.

Caution
Blood thinners (warfarin, DOACs)
Chamomile contains coumarins and has been reported to interact with warfarin, raising bleeding risk.
Coumarin constituents may add anticoagulant/antiplatelet effects; INR changes reported with warfarin. NCCIH — Chamomile
Monitor
Benzodiazepines, sleep medicines & alcohol
May add to drowsiness; theoretical additive sedation when combined with sedative medicines.
Chamomile is used for relaxation and may have mild sedative activity that could add to CNS depressants. NCCIH — Chamomile

Key Studies

Meta-analysis Kazemi 2024 ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis (10 studies, 772 people): chamomile improved PSQI sleep-quality score (WMD -1.88, 95% CI -3.46 to -0.31); no change in sleep duration/efficiency.
Meta-analysis Akhgarjand 2023 ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis: chamomile lowered fasting glucose (SMD -0.65) and HbA1c (SMD -0.90) in humans; small number of trials, calls for more.
Meta-analysis Hieu 2019 ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis (12 RCTs): chamomile improved GAD and sleep quality, but no significant effect on state anxiety; only 1 weak insomnia trial.
RCT Mao 2016 ✓ PubMed
Long-term GAD RCT: chamomile maintained lower symptoms than placebo but did not significantly reduce relapse rate (n=93).
RCT Chang 2016 ✓ PubMed
RCT in 80 sleep-disturbed postnatal women: chamomile tea cut sleep-inefficiency and depression scores, but benefit was gone by 4-week follow-up.
RCT Rafraf 2015 ✓ PubMed
8-week RCT (n=64, type 2 diabetes): chamomile tea 3x/day lowered HbA1c, insulin, insulin resistance and improved lipid profile vs control.
RCT Amsterdam 2009 ✓ PubMed
8-week RCT in GAD: chamomile extract cut total HAM-A anxiety score significantly more than placebo (P=0.047); modest effect (n=57).
Review Such 2026 ✓ PubMed
German and Roman Chamomile: Species-Specific Phytochemical Profiles, Bioactive Potential, and Relevance for Functional Foods and Nutraceutical Development
Review Wang 2026 ✓ PubMed
Compound Chamomile and Lidocaine Hydrochloride Gel in Oral Diseases: A Review of Current Evidence and Potential Applications
9 sources cited · 9 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Chamomile

What is Chamomile used for?

Chamomile is most often taken for Ease generalized anxiety, Improve sleep quality, Calm before bed, Lower blood sugar (early signal). A gentle herbal tea with modest evidence for anxiety and sleep.

Does Chamomile work — what does the evidence say?

Moderate evidence. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent. Chamomile is a daisy-family flower long taken as a calming tea. The best human data are for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): a placebo-controlled trial found a modest but significant drop in anxiety scores, and a longer trial confirmed reduced symptoms (though it did not prevent relapse). A 2019 meta-analysis concluded chamomile is efficacious for GAD and sleep quality but found no benefit for state anxiety and only one weak trial for insomnia. A 2024 sleep meta-analysis found a small improvement in PSQI sleep-quality scores (about 1.9 points) but no change in sleep duration or efficiency. Small trials also report lower HbA1c and fasting glucose in type 2 diabetes, but these need confirmation. Overall the effects are real but mild, trials are short (mostly 2–8 weeks) and often small, so chamomile is a reasonable gentle adjunct rather than a proven treatment.

What is the typical dose of Chamomile?

220–1500 mg/day of standardized extract (often 1.2% apigenin), or 1–3 cups of tea (3 g dried flower per cup); extract trials used 500 mg three times daily.

Is Chamomile safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Chamomile is generally well tolerated; the main risk is allergic reaction (rarely anaphylaxis) in people sensitive to ragweed, daisies, marigolds or chrysanthemums. It may add to the effect of sedatives and has documented interaction with the blood thinner warfarin (increased bleeding risk via coumarin content), so use caution with anticoagulants and around surgery. Because small trials show it can lower blood glucose, monitor closely if you take antidiabetic drugs; avoid concentrated medicinal doses in pregnancy.

How many studies support Chamomile?

NutriDex cites 9 sources for Chamomile, graded "Moderate".

Does Chamomile interact with any medications?

Yes — known or theoretical interactions include: Blood thinners (warfarin, DOACs) (caution), Sedatives (benzodiazepines, opioids, alcohol) (monitor). This is educational and not exhaustive; always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Chamomile with any medicine.

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 10 Aug 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/chamomile

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_chamomile,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/chamomile},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-08-10}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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