Chamomile (German and Roman)Botanical

• Generalized anxiety disorderPossibly helps

  The strongest case chamomile has, and still not a settled one. An 8-week randomized double-blind trial in adults with mild-to-moderate GAD found significant reductions on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale versus placebo (p=0.047) [2].
  
  A 38-week continuation trial reported long-term safety, with improvements in symptom occurrence and well-being versus placebo [2].
  
  A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis screened 389 articles and found 9 of 10 clinical trials reported significant anxiety reductions with oral chamomile [3].
  
  NCCIH still describes the overall clinical evidence as insufficient to rate usefulness for most conditions, anxiety included [1]. ^[2]

• Sleep and insomniaPossibly helps

  ⚠ The sources split here, so both stay on the page. NCCIH notes there is very little research, and cites a 2019 review that found no benefit for insomnia [1].
  
  A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 trials (772 participants) found a significant improvement in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores [3].
  
  The pooled effect was -1.88 PSQI points (95% CI -3.46 to -0.31), mainly better sleep maintenance and fewer night awakenings [3].
  
  We are not picking a winner. The two probably diverge because one looks at insomnia-specific trials and the other at broad sleep-quality endpoints in mixed populations. ^[1]

• Type 2 diabetes markersPossibly helps

  A randomized controlled trial had participants drink tea brewed from 3 g of dried flowers per 150 mL, three times daily after meals, for 8 weeks [2].
  
  HbA1c fell 0.43 percentage points versus control, alongside improved lipid measures. That is one trial, which makes it a starting point rather than a finding to rely on. ^[2]

• Mouthwash for chemo and radiation mucositisPossibly helps

  Chamomile-containing mouthwashes reduced mucositis from radiation or chemotherapy in some trials [1].
  
  Results across trials are mixed, so NCCIH does not rate this as established. ^[1]

• Infant colic and childhood diarrheaPossibly helps

  Combination products containing chamomile plus other herbs may help diarrhea in children and colic in infants [1].
  
  Chamomile alone has not been shown effective for either. That distinction is the entire finding, and product labels routinely blur it. ^[1]

• Carpal tunnel syndrome, applied topicallyPossibly helps

  A randomized trial found topical chamomile oil improved symptom severity and hand function versus placebo [3].
  
  One trial, one topical preparation. Not enough to generalize from. ^[3]

• Atopic eczema, applied topicallyPossibly helps

  Chamomile cream performed comparably to low-dose hydrocortisone in one trial [2].
  
  In another it was only marginally better than placebo. Those two results are hard to reconcile from the outside. ^[2]

• Radiation dermatitisNot shown to help

  Chamomile cream showed no benefit over almond cream for radiation dermatitis [2].
  
  This is one of the few places on this page where the result is a clear negative rather than an open question. ^[2]

• Ulcerative colitis remissionPossibly helps

  A combination of chamomile, myrrh and coffee charcoal showed relapse-free time non-inferior to mesalazine over 12 months [2].
  
  That result belongs to the three-ingredient combination, not to chamomile on its own. ^[2]

• Gingival bleedingPossibly helps

  A chamomile mouth rinse reduced gingival bleeding as effectively as chlorhexidine in periodontal disease [2].
  
  Single-trial evidence again, in a specific dental context. ^[2]

• Dried flowers, brewed as teaEveryday use, at roughly 1–3 g per cup

  Elemental content

  Whole flower heads; the brewed tea runs about 0.8–1.2% apigenin

  Absorption

  The least concentrated and least standardized route, varying with brewing time and flower quality

  Best for

  Everyday use, at roughly 1–3 g per cup [17]

• Standardized extract capsulesMatching what the anxiety and insomnia trials actually tested, at 220–1,500 mg/day

  Elemental content

  Standardized to a defined apigenin percentage, commonly 1.2%

  Absorption

  More precise and typically higher-strength dosing than tea provides

  Best for

  Matching what the anxiety and insomnia trials actually tested, at 220–1,500 mg/day [2]

• Tincture and fluid extractA concentrated liquid alternative to brewing

  Elemental content

  Liquid alcoholic extract, typically 1:2 in 45% alcohol

  Absorption

  Taken as 3–6 mL a day in herbal practice

  Best for

  A concentrated liquid alternative to brewing [3]

• Creams, ointments and gelsThe eczema and carpal tunnel research, which used topical preparations

  Elemental content

  Applied to skin rather than swallowed

  Absorption

  Skin contact, where allergic reaction is the relevant risk rather than dose

  Best for

  The eczema and carpal tunnel research, which used topical preparations [2]

• Mouth rinse or gargleThe mucositis and gingival-bleeding trials

  Elemental content

  Prepared in trials from 8 g of flowers per 1,000 mL of water

  Absorption

  Held in the mouth and spat out rather than swallowed

  Best for

  The mucositis and gingival-bleeding trials [2]

• Essential oil and hydrosolAromatic use. Inhaled chamomile oil is the exposure route most linked to asthma reactions in sensitized people

  Elemental content

  The distilled volatile fraction, far more concentrated than tea

  Absorption

  Inhaled or applied to skin

  Best for

  Aromatic use. Inhaled chamomile oil is the exposure route most linked to asthma reactions in sensitized people [1]

• Long-term tolerability

  A 38-week randomized trial of 1,500 mg/day in adults with generalized anxiety disorder recorded mild adverse events that did not differ from placebo [2].
  
  That is the longest continuous safety window in the trial literature reviewed here. ^[2]

• How firm that warfarin warning is — sources differ

  ⚠ NCCIH and the 2025 systematic review both describe the anticoagulant interaction as theoretical or case-report-level [1].
  
  The Drugs.com clinical monograph puts it more directly: chamomile may enhance warfarin's anticoagulant effect, and therapy should be monitored [2].
  
  That is a firmer stance than case-report evidence strictly supports. Flagged here, not resolved. ^[1]

• Ragweed and other Asteraceae allergies

  Chamomile sits in the Asteraceae family alongside ragweed, asters and chrysanthemums, and cross-reactivity among them is well documented [9].
  
  Reactions run from skin irritation, itchy eyes, sneezing and runny nose to rare but life-threatening anaphylaxis [2].
  
  Route matters: oral tea is more associated with asthma, bowel cramps, diarrhea and vomiting, inhaled essential oil more with asthma specifically [1]. ^[9]

• Infants under 12 months — botulism spores

  A peer-reviewed study of 200 chamomile samples found 7.5% carried Clostridium botulinum spores [11].
  
  Contamination was significantly more common in loose chamomile sold by weight in herbal stores than in chamomile sold in tea bags.
  
  California's infant botulism program notes no confirmed US case has been traced to herbal tea specifically [12]. The guidance is still to avoid chamomile before 12 months, and to use sealed tea bags rather than loose flowers after that [13]. ^[11]

• Pregnancy — the sources disagree

  ⚠ NCCIH states plainly that little is known about whether chamomile is safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding [1].
  
  Drugs.com is more cautious and advises avoidance, citing poorly referenced reports of abortifacient effects, menstrual irregularity and uterine stimulation with excessive use [2].
  
  Chamomile was also among the herbs midwives most often reported pregnant patients using for nausea in US state surveys [2]. ^[1]

• Potency varies between products

  Chamomile is an unregulated dietary supplement in most markets, so actual potency varies by manufacturer [2].
  
  None of the amounts on this page should be read as an officially endorsed dose. ^[2]

• Warfarin and other anticoagulants

  The best-documented interaction chamomile has. A published case report describes internal bleeding in a patient using chamomile alongside warfarin, with chamomile's coumarin constituent suspected of acting in synergy [7].
  
  A 2025 systematic review of chamomile adverse events flags anticoagulants, and cyclosporine, as needing careful consideration [6]. ^[7]

• Tamoxifen, HRT and estrogen-containing contraceptives

  Chamomile may have weak estrogenic activity, so it could theoretically interfere with tamoxifen, hormone replacement therapy and estrogen-containing oral contraceptives [2].
  
  The same property raises a question for estrogen-sensitive conditions such as breast or uterine cancer. ^[2]

• Liver-metabolized drugs

  Chamomile weakly inhibits the CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 liver enzymes [3].
  
  One herbal-medicine reference calls this unlikely to matter clinically, since chamomile is far less potent than pharmaceutical enzyme inhibitors [3]. ^[3]

• Sedatives and alcohol

  NCCIH notes theoretical reasons chamomile could interact with sedatives [1].
  
  An additive sedative effect with CNS depressants, alcohol included, has not been confirmed in clinical trials [3]. ^[1]

Chamomile isn't a meaningful dietary source of vitamins or minerals — it is consumed as tea, extract or supplement rather than as food [3].

What it does supply is apigenin, its main bioactive flavonoid. Dried flowers carry roughly 3,000–5,000 µg of apigenin per gram, about 0.3–0.5% by weight [17].

Apigenin makes up about 68% of the flowers' total flavonoid content, and brewed tea runs roughly 0.8–1.2% apigenin [18].

Other dietary sources exist. Parsley is the richest known, at up to about 215 mg per 100 g fresh, followed by celery and celery seed, vine spinach, artichokes and oregano [18].

Smaller amounts turn up in onions, oranges, tea, beer and red wine [17].

No trial establishes an optimal time of day. In the placebo-controlled GAD trial, dosing time was explicitly not standardized across participants, so it offers no evidence either way [2].

Tradition points to evening. Chamomile's long-standing use as a mild sedative is why it is mostly drunk as tea before bed, rather than any demonstrated pharmacokinetic reason [1].

A practical read: earlier in the day if daytime alertness matters, evening if relaxation is the goal. That is an inference from its mild calming effect, not a study-backed recommendation.