Chamomile, she’s deeper than most think.

Ahh, a soothing cup of chamomile tea to help me relax and feel all cozy.

That’s about the standard train of thought most folks have about chamomile, and sure, that's fair enough. Maybe when people step a little further into her, they might know she’s a carminative (get the farts out) and can help with a little bit of nausea, too.

She’s deeply overlooked for one of her actual superpowers, though, hormone regulation.

What’s interesting is how much I have encountered other herbalists fighting this ability of hers. I can only assume it’s the Dunning Kruger effect in full swing, which is where a person who knows a small amount about something has a cognitive bias where they genuinely believe they know all there is to know. This makes them typecast chamomile as a “simple” herb because otherwise they would have to admit…they don’t know, and in general, the human brain can become defensive here.

We’re all human.

I’ll tell ya a secret, though, if you want to be a better herbalist, there are two things that should guide you:

1.) Accept that your knowledge will always be limited by what you don’t know and remain open to this fact so you can absorb new information as it comes.

2.) Learn about the compounds in an herb to learn their abilities on a broader scale, beyond what has just been written about the individual herb.

So, here’s the thing. Chamomile is a fantastic source of…drumroll please… Apigenin.

Apigenin is such an amazing compound for all things hormone regulation in both men and women in really fascinating ways, and this will get really technical for a moment, but I’ll do my best to bring it back into human understanding along the way.

Apigenin (C₁₅H₁₀O₅) is a flavone, a subclass of flavonoids (those things you always hear referred to as antioxidants — compounds in plants that help protect your cells from damage). Structurally, it’s just three hydroxyl groups (that’s –OH, small chemical tags that make molecules more reactive and water-friendly) and a couple benzene rings (six-carbon ring structures found in many plant chemicals) away from revolutionizing endocrine conversations (meaning it interacts with multiple hormone systems in the body in significant ways).

GABA-A Modulation:

Apigenin acts as a positive allosteric modulator of GABA-A receptors (this means it attaches to a specific site on the GABA-A receptor to enhance the calming effects of GABA — your brain’s main "slow down" neurotransmitter). It's similar to how benzodiazepines work (like Valium or Xanax), but without the dependency risk (so it calms the nervous system without being addictive or having life-destroying withdrawal symptoms).

→ Lower cortisol (your primary stress hormone) + better sleep = less stress-induced hormonal disruption (less chaos in your hormone system caused by chronic stress).

Aromatase Inhibition:

This one’s especially relevant for men. Apigenin inhibits aromatase (this is the enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen — the "masculine" hormone into the "feminine" one).

→ This means more free testosterone (the form your body can actually use, no matter your sex), and less estrogen dominance (which can cause mood swings, weight gain, and fatigue). That’s major for vitality, mood, and metabolism (basically, keeping energy levels, mental clarity, and muscle composition in a good place). This absolutely applies to women, too, especially for those dealing with estrogen dominance, which makes our T and progesterone levels crash.

Estrogen Receptor Binding (ERβ):

Apigenin binds selectively to estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) (there are two main types of estrogen receptors — ERα and ERβ. ERβ is the one linked to anti-inflammatory effects, reduced abnormal cell growth, and mood stabilization). It doesn’t significantly bind to ERα (which is more associated with stimulating tissue growth, especially in breast and uterine tissue, and is a key player in estrogen-sensitive cancers like certain types of breast cancer).

→ So this makes apigenin awesome for women dealing with PMS, perimenopause, and estrogen dominance (when estrogen is high compared to progesterone, which can trigger symptoms like anxiety, bloating, breast tenderness, and heavy periods).

But here’s the deal: men also have estrogen receptors, including ERβ — and apigenin's ability to bind to ERβ while avoiding overactivation of ERα makes it a powerful ally for men dealing with estrogen dominance too (which can show up as fat gain in the chest or belly, low mood, fatigue, or reduced libido). By supporting ERβ and avoiding overstimulating estrogenic effects, apigenin helps balance the estrogen/testosterone ratio in a smart, targeted way.

So, all of that really just says this:

🌿 For Women: Estrogen Balancer + Nervous System Ally

Chamomile can help ease the swingy symptoms — from PMS irritability to perimenopausal night sweats — by gently mimicking estrogen where it’s needed (like bone, brain, and mood), while also toning down estrogen-driven inflammation in tissues like the breast and uterus.

And because she works through GABA, she also helps buffer the cortisol-estrogen crash cycle that so many folks get stuck in.

🌿 For Men: Testosterone Protector + Anti-Estrogenic Support

For men, chamomile’s real power lies in preserving testosterone. By blocking aromatase, it slows that slippery slope into belly fat, low libido, irritability, and low muscle mass.

It’s not anabolic (meaning it doesn’t directly build muscle like synthetic testosterone or steroids do) — but it’s supportive of healthy androgen (testosterone) balance, especially when stress is messing with the HPG axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal i.e. brain talks to testicles.

The thing is, though, when it comes to compounds, they have a mind of their own on how and when they should be extracted. Like, for example, the random free stock photo I used above of a person pouring chamomile tea probably doesn't know that apigenin is kind of boozy gal, which means that apigenin extracts much better in a tincture than in a cup of tea. So let’s dig in a touch to see what, when, and where is best for getting what we’re after here.

Tincture (aka alcohol extract)

Tinctures use pull more of the fat-loving compounds out of Chamomile — like apigenin in its active "aglycone" form (aglycone means it’s free-floating and more bioavailable — easier for your body to absorb and use).

Tinctures give you way more active apigenin per drop than tea, especially if we’re mindful to pack the jar pretty tight when making a tincture. Usually, I tell folks to leave a fair amount of room and not jam pack their jar, but most studies are showing that a high herb to alcohol ratio is getting way more apigenin per drop.

If you’re all in here and really wanting to max pump (LOL) the apigenin levels in your tincture, you could add in just a small amount of glycerin to help increase the extraction of fat-soluble compounds like apigenin. Still, I would not do a full glycerin tincture for varying reasons, the main one being that you do need real alcohol for a potent extract.

I have a Chamomile Tincture Video Here.  Although I’m just making a standard tincture here, not jammed packed.

Whole-Plant Capsules

Unlike standardized extracts that isolate one compound, whole-plant capsules give you the full profile of the flower — including apigenin, luteolin, quercetin, and the volatile oils like bisabolol (that’s the anti-inflammatory stuff that gives chamomile its “calming on contact” personality).

These capsules usually contain finely powdered dried flowers, meaning you’re getting around 0.8% to 1.2% apigenin per gram (same ballpark as a strong tea, but without losing anything to steeping or straining).

A 500 mg capsule? That’s about 4 to 6 mg of naturally occurring apigenin, along with all of its naturally occurring co-factors.

(Co-factors = the background molecules that help apigenin do its job better — think of them as its entourage.)

Because you’re ingesting the whole flower, this route also gives you compounds that aren’t very water-soluble and don’t show up much in tea (like the sesquiterpenes and bitter resins — those are great for liver, digestion, and inflammation).

→ So while tea is lovely and tinctures are potent, ingesting the whole flower gives you the full biochemical spectrum (which means more body recognition, better synergy, and fewer surprises).

Tea or Cold Brew

Chamomile tea mostly contains apigenin-7-O-glucoside, the water-soluble version of apigenin (this is a form your body has to convert into active apigenin — kind of like the pre-mixed batter, not the baked cake). It's gentle, supportive, and one of the most traditional ways to consume chamomile.

A hot brew (your standard “steep it for 5–10 minutes” routine) using about 6 grams of dried flowers usually yields 50–72 mg of total apigenin, mostly in glycoside form.

(This makes a tasty tea, but not the strongest dose — especially if you’re using it for targeted hormonal effects.)

Now, here’s where my brain gets curious:

What about a long, cold-water infusion instead? This method (soaking chamomile flowers in cold water for 8–12 hours) may allow for deeper extraction of flavonoids like apigenin, especially the heat-sensitive ones that don’t fully release in a quick, hot steep.

Cold brews work without pulling too many volatile oils or phenolic compounds (which can make hot tea bitter or even irritating in large amounts).

There’s no real data on exactly how much more apigenin this method might extract and if I ever win millions of dollars I would randomly pay for studies like this all of the time haha, but based on solubility data it’s not unreasonable to think that a cold infusion may preserve and pull out more usable apigenin — especially if strained and consumed within 24 hours.

(You're trading heat for time — and sometimes time is the better extractor.)

→ Bottom line? A long, cold steep might just be the sweet spot between bioavailability and flavor balance, especially if you want to increase your apigenin intake without bitterness or over-extracting volatiles and not having to rely on tinctures or capsules.

I have a video about cold brewing here.

Not all chamomile is created equal — and if you’re after apigenin, German chamomile is your lady.

German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is what you’ll find in most medicinal teas and tinctures. It’s high in apigenin and total flavonoids — around 0.39% apigenin by flower weight and up to 0.82% total flavonoids.

(Translation: it’s the heavy-hitter for hormone, sleep, and anti-inflammatory effects.)

Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) has a softer, apple-y flavor but contains way less apigenin — closer to 0.12%.

(It’s still lovely and calming, but not the one to reach for if you’re targeting hormone pathways.)

I really love chamomile, she is an herb I have had a personal relationship with her since I was about 12 years old. I have a core memory of being in a homeless youth shelter in Eugene, Oregon, and a girl was freshly on the streets and having a bit of a breakdown. I made us a cup of chamomile tea I found in the cupboard, put four tea bags per cup so it wasn’t weak, and sat there and talked with her for 30 minutes as a staff member quietly listened from the other room.

He then later told me I should do that for a living, he meant counseling, but my heart knew I had just used talking as a distraction long enough for the real healer, chamomile, to step in and calm down a freaked-out nervous system.

It’s not that I had never had chamomile tea, I have enjoyed her since I was much younger, whenever I wanted something besides water to drink at home, but that was the first time that I really watched her help someone outside of myself and it was truly formative.

Her taste, smell, and feeling always bring me to a place of center in a way that goes much deeper than some stereotypical calming tea aesthetic.

She feels like home, felt like home.

Chamomile brings me home.

Yet, her ability to regulate hormones is just one layer of her complex abilities that’s overlooked.

That means we can do this again from an entirely different perspective someday in the future because no matter what someone tells you, there is so much more to chamomile and she is anything but a simple herb.

If you would like me to cover a specific health topic, herb, nutrient, and all the things in these realms feel so very free to leave a comment with your request!

Sources:

(1) Efficacy and safety of Matricaria chamomilla intervention in managing menopausal symptoms: a triple-blind clinical trial (Ledari et al., 2025) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/388227870_Efficacy_and_safety_of_Matricaria_chamomilla_intervention_in_managing_menopausal_symptoms_a_triple-blind_clinical_trial

(2) Efficacy of chamomile in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome: a systematic review (Khalesi et al., 2019)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338802206_Efficacy_of_Chamomile_in_the_Treatment_of_Premenstrual_Syndrome_A_Systematic_Review

(3) Apigenin suppresses cancer cell growth through estrogen receptor β (ERβ) (Mak et al., 2006)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/

(4) Apigenin inhibits the histamine-induced proliferation of ovarian cancer cells by downregulating ERα/ERβ expression (Liu et al., 2021)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33737282/

(5) A review on therapeutic applications of chamomile (Pharmaceutics, 2024)
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/15/10/1284