Key takeaways:
Chamomile is a daisy-like flower that’s commonly consumed as an herbal tea.
Potential benefits of chamomile tea include better sleep, less anxiety, and improved digestion and blood sugar, along with fewer menstrual symptoms.
Chamomile tea is safe for most people. But there are a few precautions and potential medical interactions to know about.
With their small, white petals and yellow centers, it’s not hard to appreciate chamomile. But these flowers may offer more than a pretty face. They’re also one of the most ancient medicinal herbs that people still use today. People have sipped chamomile tea for centuries to address a wide variety of symptoms, from hay fever to insomnia and period cramps.
Chamomile also offers a floral, mildly sweet flavor that makes it a pleasant choice — whether or not you care about its medicinal properties. In this article, we’ll run through the potential benefits most backed by research.
1. Better sleep
Can’t sleep? Sipping a warm cup of chamomile tea before bed may help you fall asleep faster — and wake up less in the middle of the night.
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Chamomile contains melatonin, the sleep-promoting hormone. It also contains compounds that bind to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in the brain. When this happens, it slows brain activity and creates a calming effect. This can help you relax enough to fall asleep and keep your brain activity turned down throughout the night.
2. Less anxiety
Chamomile tea’s effect on the brain may also help with anxiety. One small study found that chamomile extract significantly lowered symptoms in people diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Another study showed that it also eases anxiety in people who don’t have GAD.
Chamomile’s calming effects are in part due to a compound named apigenin. The theory is that apigenin turns down the volume on the body’s stress system. This helps you shift from “fight-or-flight” to “rest-and-digest” — stabilizing the neurotransmitters and hormones that regulate mood.
Still, more research is needed to understand how chamomile works for anxiety. And it shouldn’t be used as a substitute for treatment of an anxiety disorder. But drinking a hot cup of chamomile tea can be a great first step for calming yourself during anxious moments.
3. Lower blood sugar
Some research has looked into whether chamomile tea can be a helpful addition to a diabetes-friendly diet.
One small study in people with Type 2 diabetes found that drinking chamomile tea 3 times daily after meals improved blood sugar control and insulin resistance over the course of 8 weeks.
Chamomile tea may help control blood sugar in different ways. First, it may help insulin work more effectively, helping move glucose out of the bloodstream. Chamomile may also cue the liver to store more sugar as glycogen to use for energy later.
Chamomile also contains a compound known as luteolin. This compound improves insulin sensitivity and helps cells absorb glucose more easily.
Just remember: Chamomile tea doesn’t replace diabetes medications. So, don’t change your treatment plan without talking to your healthcare team.
4. Menstrual symptom relief
The evidence here is still slim. But chamomile tea may have a role in relieving menstrual cramps and premenstrual mood symptoms.
Research suggests that chamomile has anti-inflammatory properties that work like common over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers. It also contains several muscle-relaxing compounds that might help with period cramps.
The anti-anxiety effects of chamomile may ease irritability and mood swings linked to menstruation by regulating serotonin and dopamine — two key brain chemicals that are involved in mood.
5. Ease diarrhea
Research in animals and humans suggests chamomile may help with diarrhea.
One study found that chamomile helped ease diarrhea when part of an herbal supplement that also contained myrrh and coffee charcoal. The people included in the study had a range of digestive conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Interestingly, those with IBS saw significantly better results when the chamomile supplement was taken as a standalone treatment than when combined with other therapies.
Animal studies have also found that chamomile may help ease diarrhea. And they’ve provided some clues into how it might work.
Chamomile relaxes the intestinal muscles, helping reduce cramping associated with diarrhea. It also contains compounds that block inflammation in the gut.
For people with IBD and IBS, specifically, chamomile may help strengthen their gut lining. When the gut lining breaks down, the intestine is unable to regulate fluid and waste effectively. This can trigger diarrhea. But by helping to restore the lining, chamomile may address one of the causes of diarrhea in IBD and IBS.
A few things to know: Research has focused mostly on chamomile combined with other herbs rather than chamomile tea. So, we don’t know if you’ll see digestive perks from drinking chamomile alone.
Also, there haven’t been many studies done on people. We need more research before we can definitively say whether chamomile helps with diarrhea.
Is it OK to drink chamomile tea every day?
For most people, chamomile is safe for daily consumption when brewed in tea. It doesn’t contain caffeine, and it doesn’t typically cause side effects.
While side effects are uncommon, they can include nausea and dizziness.
Who should not drink chamomile tea?
You shouldn’t drink chamomile tea if any of the following are true:
You’re allergic to related plants. These include ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigold, and daisies.
You’re pregnant or breastfeeding. There’s little safety data about these situations.
You take birth control pills, as it might make them less effective.
You take blood thinners or sedatives. Chamomile may interact with these medications.
The bottom line
Chamomile is a daisy-like flower that offers a pleasant taste and beneficial health properties when steeped as a tea. Research suggests chamomile tea may boost sleep, calm anxiety, and improve blood sugar. Other possible benefits include relieving menstrual symptoms and easing diarrhea. Don’t consume chamomile if you’re allergic to related plants or pregnant or breastfeeding. Also, avoid chamomile if you’re taking birth control, blood thinners, or sedatives.
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References
Akhgarjand, C., et al. (2023). The effect of chamomile consumption on glycemic markers in humans and animals: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders.
Albrecht, U., et al. (2014). Efficacy and safety of a herbal medicinal product containing myrrh, chamomile and coffee charcoal for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders: A non-interventional study. BMJ Open Gastroenterology.
Kazemi, A., et al. (2024). Effects of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) on sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Complementary Therapies in Medicine.
Khalesi, Z. B., et al. (2019). Efficacy of chamomile in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome: A systematic review. Journal of Pharmacopuncture.
Mao, J. J., et al. (2016). Long-term chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized clinical trial. Phytomedicine.
Rafraf, M., et al. (2014). Effectiveness of chamomile tea on glycemic control and serum lipid profile in patients with type 2 diabetes. Journal of Endocrinological Investigation.
Saadatmand, S., et al. (2024). The effect of oral chamomile on anxiety: A systematic review of clinical trials. Clinical Nutrition Research.
Sebai, H., et al. (2014). Antidiarrheal and antioxidant activities of chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) decoction extract in rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology.
Srivastava, J. K., et al. (2010). Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. Molecular Medicine Reports.
