What is Scentless chamomile / wild chamomile?

Chamomile is a small daisy-like flower drunk as a calming tea. The plant on this page is Matricaria chamomilla, also sold as German chamomile or wild chamomile. In Finnish it is kamomillasaunio.

A name warning comes first. "Scentless chamomile" is also a common name for Tripleurospermum inodorum, a roadside weed.

That weed is not the tea herb, and this page is not about it. Check the Latin name on the pack.

The dried flower heads are the part used. People take them for poor sleep, nerves, cramps and an upset stomach. Creams and rinses are used on sore skin and sore mouths.

Here is the honest verdict. A few small human trials hint at mild calming effects, but the evidence is thin and mixed. Long traditional use is not proof that a remedy works, and it is not proof that it is safe.

How does Scentless chamomile / wild chamomile work?

Nobody has shown clearly how chamomile acts in people. The mechanism below comes mostly from lab work.

In cell and animal studies, apigenin from chamomile binds to GABA receptors. These are the brain switches that many calming drugs act on. That may explain mild drowsiness, but it has not been confirmed in people.

In test tubes and animals, bisabolol and chamazulene appear to damp down inflammation (heat, swelling and soreness). Lab tests also show the extract relaxing smooth muscle in the gut wall. Whether a cup of tea does this in your own gut is not established.

In laboratory tests chamomile extracts slow some bacteria and fungi. That is not the same as treating an infection, and no one should rely on it for one.

A plainer point matters too. Part of the effect of a warm drink at bedtime is the warmth, the pause and the habit. Trials that used a dummy drink often saw people improve as well.

What forms does Scentless chamomile / wild chamomile come in?

Chamomile is sold in several everyday forms.

- Tea bags of dried flower heads, the most common form. - Loose dried flowers, brewed as an infusion. - Liquid tinctures made with alcohol.

- Capsules and tablets of dried extract. - Blue essential oil, for use on skin only after dilution. - Creams, ointments and mouth rinses.

- Steam inhalations for a blocked nose.

The essential oil is very strong and is not a drink. Strength labels differ a lot, so one brand does not match another.

Where it comes from:

Chamomile has a long record across Northern Europe. Nordic households kept dried flowers as a standard home remedy.

In Finland and Sweden it was brewed for restless children, colic, period pain and sour stomachs. Mothers were said to give weak tea at bedtime. Steam from the flowers was used for coughs and blocked noses.

The flowers were also used as a wash for sore eyes, grazes and nappy rash. Folk use is recorded in Nordic herbals and pharmacy records from the 1700s onward, and it carried into modern tea shelves.

These records tell you what people did. They do not tell you what worked.

What does Scentless chamomile / wild chamomile help with?

• Trouble sleeping: Tradition used a warm cup at bedtime to settle children and adults. Human evidence is weak. A small pilot trial in adults with long-term insomnia (ongoing sleep trouble) found no clear gain over a dummy capsule. Other small studies in older people and new mothers reported modest gains. If it helps you, expect a mild effect, not a sleeping drug.
• Mild anxiety and restlessness: This is the best-studied use, and the evidence is still limited. One 8-week US trial in generalised anxiety disorder (long-lasting worry) found lower anxiety scores with chamomile extract than with placebo (a dummy pill). The trial was small. A longer follow-up study did not clearly prevent relapse. Tea has not been tested the way the extract was. Chamomile is not a treatment for a diagnosed anxiety disorder.
• Upset stomach, wind and cramping: Nordic homes used chamomile tea for a churning stomach and for colic in babies. In lab work, chamomile extract relaxes gut muscle. Human trials of chamomile alone are few and small. Most infant colic trials used mixed herb products, so the chamomile part cannot be judged. Talk to a doctor before giving any herb to a baby.
• Period pain: Folk use for cramps is old and widespread. A few small trials from Iran report less pain with chamomile. They were short, and their methods were weak. That is a hint, not an answer. Standard painkillers have far stronger evidence here.
• Sore mouth and gums (as a rinse): Chamomile rinses were used for mouth ulcers and sore gums. Small trials have tested chamomile mouthwash for mouth sores caused by cancer treatment, with mixed results. Quality is low. It should never replace care your cancer team gives you.
• Irritated skin (as a cream): Washes and creams were used for grazes, rashes and nappy rash. Some small studies compare chamomile cream with low-strength steroid cream in eczema (itchy, inflamed skin), with modest results. The studies are too small to settle the question. Do not put it on broken or weeping skin without advice.

Which foods are rich in Scentless chamomile / wild chamomile?

Chamomile is not a nutrient found in foods. It is a herb, used as a tea or flavouring in some drinks and sweets.

What are the side effects of Scentless chamomile / wild chamomile?

• Allergic rash, itching or hives
• Runny nose, sneezing or watery eyes
• Eye stinging or swelling when used as an eye wash
• Drowsiness
• Mild nausea from strong brews
• Vomiting after very large amounts
• Rare anaphylaxis (a sudden, severe, whole-body allergic reaction)

Good to know:

Most people drink chamomile tea with no trouble.

Allergy is the main real risk. It is more likely if you react to ragweed, daisies, marigold or mugwort. Reactions are usually mild, but severe ones have been reported, including a few life-threatening cases.

Eye washes cause irritation often enough that eye use is discouraged. Drowsiness matters if you drive.

How much Scentless chamomile / wild chamomile should you take?

• Recommended daily: Chamomile tea is a food, so no official dose exists. Labels in Europe commonly list 1 to 3 grams of dried flower per cup. Many packs suggest up to three cups a day for an adult. Capsule products often list 200 to 400 mg of dried extract. These are label figures, not advice for you. Products vary in strength, so follow the pack you actually bought. Ask a pharmacist or doctor before use if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant, or are treating a child.
• Best time of day: Timing is a matter of purpose, not of chemistry. People who want calm or sleep drink it in the evening. People who want stomach relief drink it near meals. There is no proven best hour.
• With or without food: Food does not matter much for the tea. Many people find it easier on the stomach after a meal. Strong infusions on an empty stomach can cause mild nausea in some people.
• Time to effect: Be realistic: it may do nothing for you. Any calming or gut effect from tea is usually felt within about 30 to 45 minutes, if at all. In the anxiety trials, the extract took several weeks to show a difference. Skin and mouth products are judged over days.
• How long to take it: Tea is often used now and then, for a few days at a time. European herbal guidance usually suggests seeing a doctor if symptoms last more than about two weeks. The anxiety trials ran 8 weeks under medical watch. Safe limits for long daily use are not known. Do not use it to keep managing a problem that is not going away.