Know2eat

Chamomile extract

Matricaria chamomilla

Herbs & Botanicals

What chamomile extract may help with

Ranked by how strong the human evidence is — best supported first.

Best supportedStress and anxietyLimited evidence· 3 sources

Then, in order

About Chamomile extract

A flower-head extract standardised to apigenin, sold as capsules, tea and topical preparations. German and Roman chamomile are different species used interchangeably in marketing.

Chamomile tea has centuries of use and the concentrated extract has a small trial literature, most notably a set of US studies in generalised anxiety disorder using a standardised 1.2% apigenin extract. Those trials are among the better-designed in this category but come from one group, and a large maintenance trial found no reduction in relapse. Tea and extract are not equivalent exposures.

Sold as
Standardised extract capsule, Tea, Tincture, Topical cream, Essential oil
Standardised to
Trials used extract standardised to 1.2% apigenin — a product without this marker may not resemble what was studied.
Also known as
German chamomile, Matricaria recutita, Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)

What the research used

The amounts, forms and durations published trials of Chamomile extract actually administered.

These are the amounts published trials administered — not a recommendation, and not a dose to copy. Trial participants were screened, supervised and given a characterised preparation. What is in a retail bottle is frequently not what was studied, and the amount that suits one person is not general advice.

  • Studied for Generalised anxiety disorder

    220–1500 mg

    Limited

    Standardised extract, divided doses · 1.2% apigenin · 8 weeks acute, up to 38 weeks maintenance

    From one US research programme. The acute trials favoured chamomile; the long-term maintenance trial did not show a reduction in relapse, which is an important qualification usually left out of marketing.

  • Studied for Sleep quality in older adults

    400 mg

    Not enough

    Extract capsule, twice daily · 4 weeks

    One small trial with a subjective sleep questionnaire; not enough to establish a dose.

This is general information about food, not medical advice. It cannot diagnose, treat or replace guidance from a clinician who knows your history.

When it was taken

Each window says whether a trial compared it against an alternative, or whether it is convention and pharmacology. Most timing advice is the second kind.

None of the timings below were directly compared in a trial. They reflect how the research happened to dose, or what the pharmacology implies — which is not the same as a timing being better.

  • Evening

    Not enough

    Sleep-focused use is dosed in the evening by convention. Anxiety trials dosed through the day. Neither compared timings.

    Timing was not directly compared. This reflects convention or how the compound behaves in the body, not a trial showing this window works better.

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how promising the supplement sounds. How we rate evidence.

Stress and anxiety

Mental Wellbeing
Limited evidence

Some randomised trials report reduced anxiety scores in generalised anxiety disorder with a standardised extract over eight weeks. The evidence comes largely from one research group, and a longer maintenance trial did not show a reduction in relapse.

What may be going on: Apigenin binds benzodiazepine sites on GABA-A receptors in laboratory models.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

View the 3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Digestive comfort

Gut & Digestive Health
Not enough evidence

There is not enough human research on chamomile alone for digestive symptoms. Most positive trials used multi-herb preparations in which chamomile was one of several ingredients.

Not enough evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

View the 2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Sleep quality

Sleep
Not enough evidence

Evidence is limited for chamomile and sleep. Trials are small, short and rely on subjective questionnaires with a large placebo response.

Not enough evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

View the 4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Things to know

Interactions, contraindications and dose limits, most serious first. Concentrated extracts interact with medication in ways the whole plant does not, so this section carries more weight here than it does on a food page.

  • Allergy

    Asteraceae allergy and anaphylaxis

    Chamomile is a daisy-family plant and anaphylaxis has been reported, particularly in people allergic to ragweed. Cross-reactivity with mugwort and birch pollen is also described.

  • Interaction

    Warfarin and bleeding

    Interacts withWarfarin, antiplatelet drugs

    Chamomile contains coumarin derivatives and case reports describe raised INR alongside warfarin. It is commonly stopped before surgery.

  • Interaction

    Sedatives and CYP substrates

    Interacts withBenzodiazepines, ciclosporin, CYP3A4 substrates

    Sedative effects may add to benzodiazepines and alcohol, and laboratory work shows inhibition of CYP1A2 and CYP3A4, which can raise levels of some medicines including ciclosporin.

  • Avoid

    Pregnancy at extract doses

    High-dose chamomile has been associated with uterine stimulation, and one cohort linked regular use in pregnancy with adverse outcomes. Occasional tea is a different exposure from concentrated capsules.

In the food catalogue

The whole-food form, where one exists. The evidence for a concentrated extract rarely transfers to the food, or the other way round — these are cross-links, not equivalents.

Chamomile teaThe infusion made from the same flower heads, at a far lower…

Evidence ratings on this page: 1 limited evidence, 2 not enough evidence.

Supplements are sold in the US without pre-market review of efficacy or safety. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to take Chamomile extract, or a dose to follow.