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DEvidence grade · Last reviewed

Apigenin and sleep: what the human evidence shows, and what it does not

We searched Europe PMC on 2026-10-15 and found no published randomized trial of pure apigenin for sleep or calm. The human data come from chamomile extracts that deliver roughly 13 to 23 mg of apigenin a day: one positive and one mixed trial in generalized anxiety disorder, a null insomnia pilot and a pooled sleep quality signal from small trials. The rest is cell and animal work. For our 50 mg capsule that is grade D.

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Editorial section. Research summaries are not product claims and contain no product links or offers. A summary is never proof that any product works.

The question
Is there human evidence that apigenin, alone or in chamomile, supports sleep or calm, and does it apply to a 50 mg capsule?
Study design
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 randomized trials of chamomile (Hieu 2019); an 8-week double-blind trial of chamomile extract standardized to 1.2% apigenin, 220 to 1,100 mg a day, in 57 adults with mild to moderate generalized anxiety disorder (Amsterdam 2009); a two-phase trial in 179 adults with moderate to severe generalized anxiety disorder, with 12 weeks of open-label extract at 1,500 mg a day and then 93 responders randomized to continue or switch to placebo for 26 weeks (Mao 2016); a 28-day pilot of 270 mg of extract twice a day in 34 adults with chronic primary insomnia (Zick 2011); and cell and mouse experiments on apigenin and CD38, an enzyme that breaks down NAD+ (Escande 2013). [1][2][3][4][5][6]
What they found
The meta-analysis found better sleep quality with chamomile than with control (standardized mean difference -0.73) and a small improvement in generalized anxiety scores at 2 and 4 weeks, but no difference in state anxiety across three trials; the only insomnia trial was null. In the 2009 trial, chamomile lowered Hamilton anxiety scores more than placebo (P = 0.047), a modest effect. In the 2016 trial, 15.2% relapsed on chamomile versus 25.5% on placebo, which missed significance for the primary outcome (P = 0.16), although symptoms stayed lower on chamomile. In the insomnia pilot, sleep diary measures, including total sleep time and time to fall asleep, did not differ from placebo. In cells and obese mice, apigenin blocked CD38 and raised NAD+ levels; this has not been shown in people. [1][2][3][4][5][6]
Limitations
Every human trial used chamomile extract, not isolated apigenin, and chamomile has other active compounds. Daily apigenin was about 13 mg at the top dose in Amsterdam 2009, 18 mg of apigenin glycosides in Mao 2016 and about 23 mg in Zick 2011 by the authors' own lab analysis, all below our 50 mg dose. Both anxiety trials enrolled people with a diagnosed disorder, not healthy adults winding down. Trials had 34 to 179 people and most outcomes were questionnaires. The CD38 and NAD+ angle often cited on podcasts rests on cells and mice, and Zick 2011 notes that the proposed GABA receptor mechanism also comes from preclinical work. Funding: the three trials were funded by US National Institutes of Health grants, plus a University of Michigan seed grant for Zick 2011; we found no industry sponsor. We could not confirm funding for the meta-analysis from its abstract.
What this does not mean
These studies do not show that apigenin or chamomile is a treatment for insomnia, anxiety or any disease, and chamomile extract trials do not prove that a 50 mg apigenin capsule works. Our claim is structure/function only: supports a calm wind-down. NIH's NCCIH notes that chamomile can cause allergic reactions, more often in people allergic to ragweed, daisies or related plants, may act like estrogen and weaken birth control pills, has reported interactions with warfarin and some drugs processed by the liver, may in theory interact with sedatives, and has unknown safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Those cautions come from chamomile; safety data for isolated apigenin at 50 mg a day are limited. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take a sedative, a blood thinner or any prescription drug, ask your clinician first. Not for children.
Sources
  1. Hieu TH et al. Phytother Res. 2019;33(6):1604-1615. doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6349
  2. Amsterdam JD et al. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2009;29(4):378-382. doi.org/10.1097/JCP.0b013e3181ac935c
  3. Mao JJ et al. Phytomedicine. 2016;23(14):1735-1742. doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2016.10.012
  4. Zick SM et al. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2011;11:78. doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-11-78
  5. Escande C et al. Diabetes. 2013;62(4):1084-1093. Cells and mice, not humans. doi.org/10.2337/db12-1139
  6. NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Chamomile. www.nccih.nih.gov/health/chamomile

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