Herbal Tea for Anxiety and Stress: What the Research Shows About the Tea
What trials and regulators say about calming herbal teas for stress and anxiety, how little tea research there is, the cautions with medicines, and where to get help.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Natural products can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read herbal tea and extract safety before you use anything on this page.
Read this first
- If you are in crisis. In the US, call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) if you are suicidal or in emotional distress, and call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room in a life-threatening situation. [1]
- Tea is not a treatment for an anxiety disorder. The NHS says a GP may offer talking therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or medicines such as an SSRI, for generalized anxiety disorder. [2] Never stop or change a prescribed medicine because of a tea; ask the prescriber or pharmacist.
- Antidepressants. A published case report describes moderate serotonin toxicity after lavender tea in a person taking sertraline, called a possible interaction; we could read only the title of the report. [3] It is a single case. Ask a pharmacist before combining any herbal tea with an antidepressant. See how interactions work.
- Sedatives and surgery. NIH says lavender might interact with some sedative drugs or herbs, which matters before surgery. [4] NIH says passionflower might interact with some anesthesia drugs. [5]
- Pregnancy. The EU monographs for lemon balm, passion flower, lavender and hops say safety in pregnancy has not been established. [6][7][8][9]
Stress, anxiety and what a tea can be asked to do
Stress is a response to pressure; an anxiety disorder is a condition with its own diagnosis and care. See stress, anxiety, burnout and depression. This page asks only what the sources found about the tea itself. Many studies of "chamomile for anxiety" or "lavender for anxiety" tested a supplement or an oil, and a result for one form does not transfer to tea. [10][4]What the research found, tea by tea
"EU traditional use" is a regulatory category: the effect is judged plausible from at least 30 years of use, although clinical evidence is insufficient. [6]| Tea (plant, part) | What the sources found | Strength of evidence | Form and people studied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L., flower heads) | NIH says some preliminary studies suggest a chamomile dietary supplement might help generalized anxiety disorder and associated depression. [10] A meta-analysis found no difference for anxiety in three trials but an improvement on a generalized anxiety scale. [11] Proper evidence not found for a human trial of chamomile tea for anxiety: our PubMed search found 21 records and none was such a trial. [12] | Promising but limited, for supplements; not shown for tea | Supplements and extracts, not tea |
| A calming blend of chamomile, passionflower and anise | In 210 people about to have elective surgery, the blend and a lemon placebo tea did not differ in anxiety scores, and both were linked with lower anxiety. [13] | Insufficient evidence of benefit beyond placebo | Tea blend; surgical patients, Brazil |
| Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata L., above-ground parts) | NIH says a small amount of research suggests oral passionflower might reduce anxiety symptoms, including before a surgical or dental procedure, but conclusions are not definite. [5] The EU lists mild stress as traditional use; published studies had few patients and serious design shortcomings. [7] | Promising but limited; traditional use | Mostly non-tea forms |
| Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L., leaf) | EU traditional use for mild stress; a small study showed a possible improvement, but design shortcomings prevented firm conclusions. [6] Proper evidence not found for a trial of lemon balm tea for anxiety or stress. [12] | Traditional use only | Leaf preparations |
| Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill., flower) | In 60 adults with misophonia (strong reactions to sounds), those drinking lavender tea twice a day for 14 days reported improvements compared with a no-treatment group; the authors warn of placebo and expectancy bias. [14] NIH's anxiety findings are for an oral lavender oil product, and it says lavender tea might reduce depression symptoms but the research is preliminary. [4] | Preliminary | Tea; adults with misophonia |
| Valerian (Valeriana officinalis L., root) | NIH says there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about valerian for anxiety, depression or stress. [15] | Insufficient evidence | Mostly non-tea forms |
| Hops (Humulus lupulus L., flower) | EU traditional use for mild symptoms of mental stress. [9] | Traditional use only | Flower preparations |
Caffeine can work against you
The NHS advises people with anxiety not to drink lots of coffee, tea, cola or energy drinks because the caffeine can disrupt sleep and make anxiety harder to control. [2] Herbal teas from the true tea plant carry caffeine; see caffeine in herbal teas and yerba mate.Frequently asked questions
What is the best herbal tea for anxiety?
The sources we read do not name one. Tea trials for anxiety are scarce, and the one large blinded trial of a calming blend found no difference from placebo tea. [13]
Can herbal tea replace anxiety medicine or therapy?
No source we read says so. The NHS lists talking therapies and medicines as the main treatments for generalized anxiety disorder. [2] Ask the prescriber or pharmacist before changing any medicine.
Does chamomile tea reduce anxiety?
NIH reports preliminary findings for a chamomile supplement, not tea. [10] Proper evidence not found for a human trial of the tea. [12]
Is passionflower tea safe to drink every night?
NIH says passionflower may be safe as a tea for up to 7 nights, and that it should not be used during pregnancy. [5]
What if I feel hopeless or in danger?
In the US, call or text 988, or call 911 in a life-threatening emergency. [1]
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Limits and who should ask a clinician
- Most tea trials are small, short and rely on self-report. [14]
- Regulators ask people to consult a doctor if mild stress symptoms last beyond about 2 weeks. [7][6]
- Chamomile can cause allergic reactions, more likely in people allergic to ragweed or daisy-family plants. [10] Liver, kidney and children: not described in the sources we read for these teas, apart from EU statements that use under age 12 is not established. [8]
- Kava is sold as a calming drink; NIH says it has been linked to liver injury that is sometimes serious or even fatal. [16] See kava, kratom and blue lotus teas.
- For habits and care options, see stress and relaxation, supplements, teas and adaptogens for stress compared, and the tea pages for chamomile, lemon balm, passionflower and lavender.
References
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIH). Help for Mental Illnesses. Read 2026-10-23.
- NHS (UK). Generalised anxiety disorder in adults: overview. Read 2026-10-23.
- Seet HR, Rotella JA. Moderate serotonin toxicity precipitated by a possible interaction between lavender tea and sertraline. Emergency Medicine Australasia. 2021;33(5):947-948. Title read; no abstract available. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Lavender: Usefulness and Safety. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Passionflower: Usefulness and Safety. Last updated April 2025. Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Melissae folium (melissa leaf): herbal medicinal product, public summary and Community herbal monograph on Melissa officinalis L., folium. Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Passiflorae herba (passion flower): herbal medicinal product, public summary and Community herbal monograph on Passiflora incarnata L., herba. Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Community herbal monograph on Lavandula angustifolia Miller, flos, EMA/HMPC/734125/2010, 27 March 2012. Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Community herbal monograph on Humulus lupulus L., flos, EMA/HMPC/682384/2013. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Chamomile: Usefulness and Safety. Last updated November 2024. Read 2026-10-23.
- Hieu TH, Dibas M, Surya Dila KA, et al. Therapeutic efficacy and safety of chamomile for state anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, and sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytotherapy Research. 2019;33(6):1604-1615. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Library of Medicine. PubMed search records via NCBI E-utilities, searched 2026-10-23; record titles read, counts as stated in the page text. Read 2026-10-23.
- Zampieri VC, Gonçalves IL, Lira AL, et al. Exploring the effects of a calming herbal tea blend on perioperative anxiety: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2025;28(3):266-271. Read 2026-10-23.
- Koroglu Gokbel S, Durat G. The effect of lavender herbal tea on the mental health of individuals with misophonia: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2026;195:39-46. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Valerian: Usefulness and Safety. Last updated May 2025. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Sleep Disorders: What You Need To Know. Read 2026-10-23.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.