Infusion (2–3 g of dried flower 2–3 times a day) or standardized extract 500–1,500 mg/day. Cumulative effect after weeks of continued use.
Double-blind randomized trial (Amsterdam et al. 2009, n=57) with standardized Matricaria extract 500 mg/day for 8 weeks in mild-to-moderate GAD: significant reduction in HAM-A vs placebo (p=0.047). A 38-week maintenance trial confirmed reduced relapses.
See the study (double-blind RCT) →2019 meta-analysis (12 RCTs): modest but consistent improvement in subjective sleep quality, especially in older adults and postpartum. Sleep latency and awakenings improve less.
View the study (meta-analysis) →Improves symptoms of dyspepsia, mild gastritis, and infant colic. Use recognized by the EMA for mild digestive disorders.
400 mg extract 60 min before a dental procedure: reduces subjective state anxiety (STAI) without sedation.
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Chamomile is probably the most universally recognized medicinal plant and the one most widely consumed as an infusion, present in virtually every culture with a herbal tradition: from ancient Egypt, where it was associated with the god Ra for its ability to calm fever, to modern kitchens where it remains the first household remedy for digestive discomfort, mild insomnia, or everyday anxiety; modern clinical research has confirmed that behind the folk use there are real, though modest, pharmacological effects, attributable mainly to apigenin and other flavonoids in its flowers.
Unlike more potent herbs with a complicated safety profile (kava, St. John's wort), chamomile stands out for a rare combination: reproducible clinical effects in several indications, an exceptionally good safety profile with documented use over millennia, and universal availability at minimal cost in the form of an infusion, which makes it one of the herbal resources with the best balance of efficacy, safety, and accessibility.
The indication with the best clinical evidence is mild to moderate generalized anxiety: several randomized trials have shown significant improvements on standardized scales (Hamilton Anxiety) with doses of 500-1,500 milligrams daily of standardized extract for 8-12 weeks, with a much more favorable adverse-effect profile than benzodiazepines and comparable or superior to some pharmacological anxiolytics such as buspirone.
A randomized trial from the University of Pennsylvania published in 2009 with 57 patients with generalized anxiety disorder showed that 500 mg/day of standardized extract for 8 weeks significantly reduced symptoms compared with placebo; a later trial by the same group lasting 38 weeks (one of the longest in the herbal literature) confirmed long-term efficacy with good sustained tolerability.
In mild insomnia, chamomile improves the subjective quality of rest, especially when the problem seems related to anticipatory anxiety or nighttime mental rumination; the effect is modest but sufficient for many people who prefer to avoid pharmacological hypnotics; typical doses are 200-500 mg of extract or 1-2 cups of strong infusion 30-60 minutes before bedtime.
The most widespread traditional use is as a gastrointestinal antispasmodic and carminative in functional dyspepsia, abdominal colic, and intestinal gas; the clinical data are weaker than for anxiety but point to a real antispasmodic effect on intestinal smooth muscle, possibly mediated by apigenin and other components that modulate calcium channels in smooth muscle.
In infant colic, chamomile in a very dilute infusion (together with fennel, lemon balm, and other herbs) has shown efficacy comparable to simethicone in some studies, a traditional indication with some modern clinical support.
As a topical extract, compress, or cream, chamomile speeds wound healing, reduces inflammation in mild dermatitis, improves oral mucositis after chemotherapy, and is used in ophthalmology for mild conjunctivitis; European pharmaceutical products with standardized extract (Kamillosan) have formal indications for several of these uses.
The doses studied range from 220 to 1,500 milligrams daily of standardized dried-flower extract (at 1.2 percent apigenin), or the equivalent as an infusion of 2-3 teaspoons of dried flower per cup, 2-3 times a day; the effects on anxiety and sleep appear within the first weeks and are maintained for as long as it is consumed.
Generally very well tolerated, with documented use over millennia; adverse effects are rare and mild (mild digestive discomfort, occasionally allergic reactions in people sensitive to the Asteraceae family); people with a known allergy to ragweed, chrysanthemum, or daisies may have a cross-reaction; those taking anticoagulants such as warfarin should use caution because of a described interaction (mild potentiation), and caution is advised in pregnancy (although it has traditionally been used as a moderate infusion without problems) and in very young children.
Information, not medical advice. Scientific evidence reflects the quality of the studies.