Two 2025 reviews reported that chamomile was associated with reduced pain, lower inflammation and minimal adverse effects across more than 1,500 participants.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Chamomile, a widely used herb commonly consumed as tea or extract, is receiving new attention after two systematic reviews published in 2025 found measurable pain-relieving effects across human clinical studies involving more than 1,500 participants.

The reviews, published in the Journal of Medicinal Plants and Pharmaceutical Biology, evaluated chamomile’s effects on pain, inflammation and antimicrobial activity. Researchers reported that chamomile was associated with significant pain reduction in several categories, including musculoskeletal, postoperative and gynecological conditions.

The findings are notable because the reviews examined randomized, controlled human trials, the same type of evidence commonly used to assess pharmaceutical treatments. According to the authors, chamomile’s analgesic effects had not previously been evaluated across the clinical literature using comparable standards.

In the first review, published in the Journal of Medicinal Plants, researchers pooled data from 1,525 human trial participants and found that chamomile produced consistent reductions in reported pain. The effect appeared across multiple patient groups and pain types, according to the study authors.

The researchers also compared chamomile directly against active treatments rather than only against placebos. In those head-to-head comparisons, they found no statistically significant difference between chamomile and conventional pain medications, according to the review.

Across the studies examined, researchers reported minimal adverse effects among participants using chamomile.

A second independent review, published in Pharmaceutical Biology in July 2025, focused on chamomile’s anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. That review found that chamomile consistently lowered inflammatory markers and demonstrated activity against certain bacteria and fungi.

The authors said the findings align with chamomile’s traditional use for digestive and skin conditions, as well as its long history in herbal medicine. Essential oils such as Roman chamomile have also been used traditionally as antispasmodics and carminatives for abdominal complaints.

The reviews described several possible mechanisms behind chamomile’s effects. Chamomile contains apigenin, a flavonoid that researchers said may help calm the nervous system by binding to receptors also targeted by anti-anxiety medications.

Other naturally occurring compounds in chamomile appear to affect inflammatory signals, including pathways also targeted by some over-the-counter pain relievers. Researchers noted that chamomile’s multi-compound profile may allow it to act through several biological pathways at once.

Unlike drugs, which typically work through one defined mechanism, herbal therapies are often described as working through combinations of compounds. The report noted that, while medications may target a single pathway, “herbs work synergistically to address underlying imbalances in your body.”

Researchers said that synergy may help explain why chamomile showed broad effects across different pain conditions in the trials reviewed.

The findings come amid renewed interest in herbal and nutrient-based remedies for inflammation and chronic discomfort. More than 54% of U.S. adults had some type of musculoskeletal pain disorder in 2012, according to data cited in the report, highlighting the demand for accessible options with fewer side effects.

The reviews also noted that herbs used for pain relief in labor are considered “gently effective, most with minimal risk of serious side effects.”

Despite the strength of the evidence standards used in the reviews, observers said chamomile is still rarely discussed in conventional clinical settings as a pain-relief option. The report stated that Western medicine “has long treated herbs like chamomile as gentle but ultimately minor remedies. Yet both of these reviews drew from the same evidence standard used to evaluate pharmaceutical drugs.”

The authors called for greater awareness among health care providers and said chamomile’s long medicinal history should be weighed alongside the emerging clinical evidence.

While the reviews reported promising results, they did not suggest that chamomile should replace medical care for serious conditions. The findings instead support further clinical consideration of chamomile as a low-risk, widely available option that may help reduce pain and inflammation for some patients.

Source: Natural News