Severe anxiety is often treated with the use of selective reuptake inhibitors or anxiolytic drugs such as benzodiazepines. However, symptoms of mild to moderate anxiety can often be adequately controlled through the use of natural remedies including herbal medicine. One such remedy that might be useful in the treatment of mild to moderate anxiety is chamomile (Chamomilla recutita). Chamomile has been used as a traditional herbal remedy for its ability to cause relaxation. The calmative effects of chamomile have been demonstrated in animal models, and there is evidence that it has pharmacological effects in the brain. In particular, evidence suggest that chamomile may contain phytochemicals that bind to GABA receptors in the brain. There may also be modulation of monoamine neurotransmitter levels and some modulation of the neuroendocrine system. The phytochemicals responsible for these actions could be the flavonoid apigenin, and the sesquiterpene α-bisabolol.
Chamomile is a traditional herbal remedy that may possess anxiolytic effects. A controlled trial investigated the effects of chamomile of anxiety in patients with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and found that treatment with chamomile was significantly more effective when compared to a placebo. Chamomile, like other traditional remedies has an exceptional safety record, and because the effects are mild, the side effects experienced are also mild. Traditional herbal extracts are useful as they are often used in combination to treat disorders such as anxiety and depression, when the symptoms are not sever, and when the patient self medicates. This gives traditional herbal remedies an advantage over pharmaceuticals as they can be less debilitating, and are not associated with significant adverse effects when used long-term.
Studies on humans are more limited, but one clinical trial has been performed using a chamomile extract. In this study, chamomile showed promise as a possible beneficial therapeutic agent for the treatment of anxiety. Researcher administered a chamomile extract or a placebo to a group of patient with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) for 8 weeks. Following 8 weeks of taking the chamomile extract, the patients reported a significant reduction in their anxiety compared to the placebo, as rated by the Hamilton anxiety rating. Chamomile also produced improvements in other measures of anxiety and improvements in wellbeing compared to the placebo. The chamomile extract was 220 mg of chamomile standardised to contain 1.2 % apigenin. Chamomile tea may not be standardised to contain apigenin or α-bisabolol, and so its effects may vary compared to standardised extracts. However, there is no reason why the tea should not produce anxiolytic effects if it is from a good source and contains the original phytochemicals present in the plant.
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