ModerateSynergy
Melatonin
Both may promote sleepiness and can cause next-day grogginess.
Recommendation: Use low evening doses and avoid driving if sedated.
Chamomile
Herb ·Moderate evidence ·Reviewed May 2026
Chamomile flower is widely used as a tea or extract for relaxation, mild anxiety, digestive comfort, and sleep. Small randomized trials suggest benefit for generalized anxiety symptoms, while insomnia data are mixed and generally modest. People with ragweed or daisy-family allergy, anticoagulant use, pregnancy, or heavy sedative use need caution.
What it's good for
What to watch for
- Drowsiness
- Nausea
- Allergic reaction
- Known allergy to ragweed, chrysanthemum, marigold, daisy, or Asteraceae plants
- Pregnancy in medicinal doses unless clinician-approved
The bottom line
Evidence rating moderate. Most-documented uses: may reduce mild generalized anxiety symptoms, may support relaxation before sleep, may soothe stress-related digestive discomfort. 3 sources indexed (2009–2016), with 3 interaction records on file.
The science
How it works, mechanistically.
Core mechanism
Chamomile contains apigenin, luteolin, bisabolol, chamazulene-related compounds, and other flavonoids that may interact with benzodiazepine receptor sites, inflammatory pathways, and smooth muscle tone. Tea provides lower and more variable exposure than standardized extract, but may have sensory relaxation benefits. Coumarin-like constituents and allergy potential drive the main safety concerns.1,2
Class
Calming flower tea and extract
Found in food
Chamomile tea, Chamomile-containing herbal blends
Low-status signs
None - chamomile is not an essential nutrient and has no deficiency state
Dosing
Dosing & protocol.
Common range
Tea from 1-3 g dried flower up to several times daily, or 220-1,500 mg/day standardized extract in divided doses in anxiety studies
Recommended form
Dried Matricaria recutita flower tea for mild use or standardized extract for clinical dosing
Tea can be taken between meals or before bed. Extract can be taken with food if nausea occurs.
Forms
Forms & what to buy.
Ranked by evidence and value.
Dried Chamomile Flower Tea Recommended
Gentle and variable; useful for evening routines. Steep covered for 5-10 minutes.
Standardized Chamomile Extract Capsule
More consistent flavonoid exposure than tea. Take with food if GI upset occurs.
Chamomile Tincture
Flexible dosing but alcohol content varies. Avoid alcohol-based tinctures with sedatives or liver disease.
Cost
What it actually costs.
Real-world pricing across three quality tiers. Assumes Chamomile tea or extract capsule.
BudgetBest value
$2 /mo
$0.08 per dose
Mid
$8 /mo
$0.25 per dose
Premium
$18 /mo
$0.60 per dose
Tea is cheapest; standardized extracts are more suitable for clinical dosing. Updated 2026-06-04.
Goals
Goal-based dosing.
Mild Anxiety Support
Dose: 220-500 mg extract one to three times daily3,1
Timing: Divided during the day
Appropriate for mild symptoms; moderate or severe anxiety needs care.
Sleep Routine Support
Dose: 1 cup tea or 220-500 mg extract before bed2
Timing: 30-60 minutes before bed
Best as part of a sleep routine; insomnia trial evidence is mixed.
Nervous Stomach
Dose: 1 cup tea up to three times daily
Timing: After meals or between meals
Persistent GI symptoms need medical assessment.
Why people use it
Symptoms it's matched to.
Where this appears in the symptom-to-supplement map, ranked by relevance.
Anxiety
58% relevance
Apigenin-containing extracts may support calming benzodiazepine-receptor-related pathways.1,3
MoodModerate evidenceStandardized extract
Use as adjunctive support for mild anxiety.
Difficulty falling asleep
42% relevance
Relaxation and mild sedative effects may support sleep routines.3
SleepEmerging evidenceTea before bed
Clinical insomnia data are mixed.
Nervous stomach
36% relevance
Traditional carminative and smooth-muscle soothing effects.
DigestiveInsufficient evidenceDried flower tea
Do not ignore red-flag GI symptoms.
Safety
Full safety detail.
Side effects
- Drowsiness
- Nausea
- Allergic reaction
- Contact dermatitis
- Rare vomiting with very strong tea
- Possible bleeding concern with anticoagulants
Contraindications
- Known allergy to ragweed, chrysanthemum, marigold, daisy, or Asteraceae plants
- Pregnancy in medicinal doses unless clinician-approved
- Use with anticoagulants or before surgery without clinician review
- Use with sedatives or alcohol without caution
Interactions
Interaction records.
InfoSynergy
L-Theanine
Both are mild calming supplements and may be complementary.
Recommendation: Reasonable at low doses if alertness is not impaired.
ModerateCaution
Ginkgo Biloba
Chamomile has coumarin-like constituents and ginkgo can increase bleeding tendency.
Recommendation: Avoid high-dose combination with anticoagulants, bleeding disorders, or before surgery unless clinician-reviewed.
Sources
Sources, by evidence tier.
Numbered references. Citations throughout the page link here.
Randomized controlled trials
3- 1Long-term chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized clinical trialNeeds reviewNo linkMao JJ et al. · Phytomedicine · 2016
Long-term extract use was studied for GAD symptom control and relapse outcomes.
- 2Preliminary examination of the efficacy and safety of a standardized chamomile extract for chronic primary insomnia: A randomized placebo-controlled pilot studyNeeds reviewNo linkZick SM et al. · BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine · 2011
The small insomnia trial found no significant differences in most sleep diary outcomes.
- 3A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral Matricaria recutita (chamomile) extract therapy for generalized anxiety disorderNeeds reviewNo linkAmsterdam JD et al. · Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology · 2009
Chamomile extract produced greater reduction in anxiety scores than placebo in mild to moderate GAD.
Keep exploring
Deep dives & adjacent profiles.
This page is educational. Do not start, stop, or change a supplement or medication based on it without checking with a qualified healthcare professional.
Use this with your stack
Chamomile in NutriStack.
Add it to your stack, see how it interacts with everything else you take, and get a Stack Score that updates the moment it does.