Apigenin Dosage: How Much to Take a Day, for Sleep and in Chamomile Tea

There is no official apigenin dosage, so the best guide is what human studies used. In one chamomile extract trial, each 270 mg dose held about 12 mg of apigenin, taken twice a day, and a 2026 trial gave 50 mg of apigenin in an evening blend with L-theanine and magnesium. For sleep, apigenin is usually taken in the evening, about 30 to 60 minutes before bed.

Key Takeaways

• Apigenin is a plant flavonoid, not an essential nutrient, so there is no Recommended Dietary Allowance or official daily dose.
• Lab analysis in a chamomile trial found 3.9 mg of apigenin per 90 mg of extract, so a 270 mg dose carried about 12 mg, taken twice a day (Zick et al., 2011).
• A 2026 trial in 103 healthy, active adults used 50 mg of apigenin with 200 mg of L-theanine and 145 mg of magnesium in an evening product for 2 weeks (Mastrofini et al., 2026).
• Chamomile tea carries apigenin mostly in a bound form that people absorbed well, with levels peaking about 2 hours after drinking (Borges et al., 2022).
• Most people tolerate chamomile and apigenin well; people with daisy family allergies or on blood thinners should check with a clinician first.

Is There a Recommended Apigenin Dose?

No. Apigenin is a flavonoid found in chamomile, parsley, celery and other plants, and our apigenin guide covers what it is and what research has looked at. Because it is not an essential nutrient, there is no Recommended Dietary Allowance and no official upper limit. Instead, the amounts below come from the human studies that have measured or given apigenin, most of them using chamomile extract. Our apigenin ingredient page covers the compound itself.

Apigenin Doses Used in Studies

Study	Who	What they took	Apigenin
Zick et al., 2011	34 adults aged 18 to 65 with chronic primary insomnia	270 mg chamomile extract twice a day for 28 days	About 12 mg per dose, about 23 mg a day
Adib-Hajbaghery and Mousavi, 2017	60 adults aged 60 and over	200 mg chamomile extract twice a day for 28 days	Not reported
Mastrofini et al., 2026	103 healthy, physically active adults	Evening product with L-theanine and magnesium for 2 weeks	50 mg

In the older adults study, people taking chamomile extract had significantly better sleep quality scores than the control group after 4 weeks (Adib-Hajbaghery and Mousavi, 2017). A 2019 review that pooled 12 chamomile trials, mostly using extracts, found better sleep quality with chamomile overall (Hieu et al., 2019). In the 2026 trial, the clearest changes over its 2 weeks came in the group taking the morning product, and the authors called for longer studies (Mastrofini et al., 2026).

How Much Apigenin Per Day?

Putting the studies side by side, apigenin amounts used in people run from about 12 mg per dose (about 23 mg a day across two doses) in chamomile extract up to 50 mg in a single evening dose. A few practical points:

• For sleep: one evening dose is the simplest approach, and it is how the 2026 trial gave its 50 mg.
• Read the label: some products list chamomile extract rather than apigenin. Look for the milligrams of apigenin, or the percentage the extract is standardized to.
• Your own amount: ask your clinician, especially if you take prescription medicine.

How Much Apigenin Is in Chamomile Tea?

There is no single figure for a cup, because it depends on the flowers, how much you use and how long you steep. Standardized chamomile extracts commonly contain 1.2% apigenin, while tea contains only low amounts of free apigenin and much more apigenin-7-O-glucoside, a form bound to a sugar (Srivastava et al., 2010).

That bound form matters. In a study of healthy men, apigenin taken on its own was poorly absorbed, with only 0.5% of the amount showing up as breakdown products in urine. After chamomile tea, breakdown products equal to 34% of the amount in the tea were recovered in urine, and blood levels peaked about 2 hours after drinking (Borges et al., 2022). So a cup of tea and a capsule are not directly comparable, even at similar milligrams. Our guide to chamomile tea benefits covers brewing and safety.

When to Take Apigenin for Sleep

Take apigenin in the evening if sleep is your goal. Timing depends on the source:

• Chamomile tea: levels peaked about 2 hours after drinking (Borges et al., 2022), so an after-dinner cup lines up well with bedtime.
• Parsley: in 11 healthy adults eating parsley, apigenin peaked about 7.2 hours later and was gone from blood within 28 hours (Meyer et al., 2006). Food sources work on a slower clock.
• Evening blends: most are taken 30 to 60 minutes before bed as part of a wind-down routine.

Because apigenin is cleared within about a day, a steady nightly habit makes more sense than saving it for a rough night.

Taking Apigenin With L-Theanine and Magnesium

Apigenin is often combined with other evening ingredients, as in the 2026 trial that paired 50 mg of apigenin with 200 mg of L-theanine and 145 mg of magnesium. L-theanine has its own sleep research: in 30 healthy adults, 200 mg a day for 4 weeks improved overall sleep scores compared with placebo (Hidese et al., 2019). Our guides to apigenin and L-theanine and apigenin vs magnesium vs melatonin cover how these work side by side.

If you want	Consider
A food-first, gentle start	A cup of chamomile tea after dinner
A set, measured amount	A product that lists milligrams of apigenin
A full wind-down routine	Apigenin with L-theanine, magnesium or glycine in the evening

Apigenin Side Effects and Who Should Check First

Most people tolerate chamomile and apigenin well. In the 12-trial review, only three trials reported adverse events, and those were mild (Hieu et al., 2019). In the 28-day chamomile extract trial, side effects were mild and short lived, with no serious events, and fewer people reported any side effect on chamomile than on placebo (Zick et al., 2011). NCCIH notes that chamomile side effects are uncommon and can include nausea, dizziness and allergic reactions (NCCIH, 2024).

Check with a clinician first if you are allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds or daisies, take warfarin or other prescription medicine, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Where Our Sleep Powder Fits

Our Melatonin-Free Sleep Powder is coming soon. It includes apigenin with tart cherry, 3 g of glycine, 200 mg of magnesium from two gentle forms and myo-inositol, mixed in water 30 to 60 minutes before bed, with no added melatonin, no 5-HTP and no added sugar or sweeteners. Join the waitlist on the product page to hear when it launches, and see our guide to sleep supplements without melatonin for other options. As with any nightly routine, benefits build with consistent daily use: months 1 to 2 can bring early changes, and 3 months and beyond is where the full benefit builds.

To pair apigenin with L-theanine without another drink, our Theanine Nasal Spray gives 36 mg of L-theanine per 2-spray serving, with alkaline water as the only other ingredient. It is caffeine free, absorbed through the lining of the nose, so some of each dose skips digestion, and it is part of our Sleep Stack and Focus Stack. For more on rest, visit our sleep health hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much apigenin should I take?

There is no official dose. Human studies used about 12 mg per dose from chamomile extract, taken twice a day, up to 50 mg in a single evening dose. Ask your clinician about your own amount.

How much apigenin per day?

Studies have used about 23 mg a day across two doses of chamomile extract, and 50 mg once in the evening in a 2-week trial.

How much apigenin for sleep?

For sleep, apigenin is usually taken once in the evening. A 2026 trial used 50 mg with L-theanine and magnesium, and chamomile extract trials used about 12 mg per dose.

Is there a recommended daily dose of apigenin?

No. Apigenin is not an essential nutrient, so there is no Recommended Dietary Allowance or official upper limit.

How much apigenin is in chamomile tea?

It varies with the flowers, the amount and the steep time. Tea holds mostly a bound form of apigenin that people absorbed well, peaking about 2 hours after drinking.

When should I take apigenin?

In the evening, about 30 to 60 minutes before bed for a blend, or after dinner for chamomile tea.

Can I take apigenin every night?

Chamomile trials gave it daily for 28 days with mild side effects. If you take medication or are pregnant or breastfeeding, check with your clinician first.

Can I take apigenin with magnesium and L-theanine?

Yes. A 2026 trial gave 50 mg of apigenin with 200 mg of L-theanine and 145 mg of magnesium in one evening product.

Sources

• Zick SM, Wright BD, Sen A, Arnedt JT. Preliminary examination of the efficacy and safety of a standardized chamomile extract for chronic primary insomnia: a randomized placebo-controlled pilot study. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2011. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21939549/
• Adib-Hajbaghery M, Mousavi SN. The effects of chamomile extract on sleep quality among elderly people: a clinical trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2017. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29154054/
• Mastrofini GF, Romersi RF, Lombardi MG, et al. Modulating stress and sleep through a multi-compound dietary supplement: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2026. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42829807/
• 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. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31006899/
• Srivastava JK, Shankar E, Gupta S. Chamomile: a herbal medicine of the past with a bright future. Molecular Medicine Reports, 2010. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2010.377
• Borges G, Fong RY, Ensunsa JL, et al. Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of apigenin and its glycosides in healthy male adults. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35452808/
• Meyer H, Bolarinwa A, Wolfram G, Linseisen J. Bioavailability of apigenin from apiin-rich parsley in humans. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1159/000090736
• Hidese S, Ogawa S, Ota M, et al. Effects of L-theanine administration on stress-related symptoms and cognitive functions in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrients, 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31623400/
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Chamomile. Last updated November 2024. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/chamomile

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is for education and is not medical advice. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Talk with a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication.