Apigenin Benefits: What the Evidence Shows

Quick answer

Apigenin benefits, in short: Apigenin is a plant compound found in chamomile, parsley and some other plants. It is popular online as a “sleep” supplement, mainly because it binds to a brain receptor that calming medicines act on, and had calming effects in mice [1]. But we found no human trial of apigenin on its own for sleep or anxiety. Studies showing benefits for sleep used chamomile (a whole plant with many compounds), not apigenin alone [3][4]. One 2026 trial tested an evening blend that included apigenin along with other ingredients, and it did not stand out [5]. We rate the evidence E: animal and lab research only for apigenin itself.

What is apigenin?

Apigenin is a flavone, a type of plant pigment, found in chamomile flowers, parsley and several other foods. Your body absorbs only a limited amount when you eat it. A study in 11 healthy adults found that only a small portion of the apigenin in parsley reached the bloodstream, and just 0.22% of the dose showed up in urine [6]. A review put its oral bioavailability at around 30%, with a half-life of roughly 2.5 hours [7]. Supplements use a concentrated or purified form.

Apigenin benefits: what might it help with?

Possible benefit	Rating	In plain words
Sleep	Early (animal or lab only)	Calming effects in mice [1]. No human trial of apigenin alone. Chamomile trials show mixed results [3][4]
Anxiety	Early (animal or lab only)	Reduced anxious behavior in mice [1]. Chamomile reviews were mixed [3][4]
Living longer or “slowing aging”	Early (animal or lab only)	Mostly lab research [2]. No human trial has tested this

Ratings describe how good the research is, not a promise that it will work for you.

What the research says

• Mouse study. Researchers found apigenin in chamomile extract that attached to a receptor in the brain also targeted by benzodiazepine medicines. In mice, it reduced anxious behavior without sedation at lower doses, and caused mild sedation at a dose ten times higher [1]. This is an animal study from 1995. PubMed
• Overview. A 2019 review summarized laboratory research on apigenin’s many effects in cells and animals. Most of this has not been tested in people [2]. PubMed
• Chamomile and sleep. A meta-analysis of 12 trials found chamomile improved sleep quality, though there was little evidence on insomnia or general anxiety. Chamomile contains many compounds, so this does not show that apigenin is responsible [3]. PubMed Another meta-analysis of 10 studies also reported better sleep scores, but with highly varied results across studies [4]. PubMed
• A blend including apigenin. In 103 healthy, active adults, an evening product (magnesium threonate, 200 mg L-theanine and 50 mg apigenin) was tested against placebo for two weeks. The reported improvements in stress and sleep came from the morning adaptogen group (ashwagandha and rhodiola), not the evening blend [5]. PubMed

Amounts and how people take it

These are amounts used in studies, not recommendations.

• Form: capsules of concentrated apigenin or chamomile extract. Chamomile tea and parsley also contain it.
• Amounts in trials: 50 mg a day in the one blend trial above [5]. There is no established dose for apigenin as a sleep aid.
• Length: two weeks in that trial [5]. Long-term effects are unknown.

Side effects, interactions and who should check first

What trials found

We found no safety trials of purified apigenin supplements in people, so we cannot say what side effects to expect.

Possible drug interactions. In lab tests, apigenin slowed the breakdown of the blood pressure medicine losartan and blocked a liver enzyme (CYP2C9) that processes many medicines. The authors suggested caution if the two are combined [8]. This is a laboratory finding, not proven in people.

Who should check with a doctor or pharmacist first

Check with a doctor or pharmacist first if you:

• take any regular medicine, especially losartan or other medicines processed by the liver
• are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive, or are under 18. We found no reliable safety data in these groups
• take sleep medicines or sedatives, or have a sleep disorder. Apigenin binds to the same kind of brain receptor in lab studies [1], so combining them is untested
• have a long-term health condition, or are allergic to chamomile or related plants.

Where can I buy it?

Availability varies by country; not on the UK’s authorized novel foods list, and reported as an unauthorized novel food in the EU [9][10]. We don’t link to any apigenin products.

FAQ

What is apigenin?

Apigenin is a flavone, a type of plant pigment, found in chamomile flowers, parsley and several other foods. Your body absorbs only a limited amount when you eat it: in 11 healthy adults just 0.22% of the dose in parsley showed up in urine [6]. Supplements use a concentrated or purified form [7].

Does apigenin help you sleep?

We found no human trial of apigenin on its own for sleep. The calming effects were seen in mice [1], and the sleep benefits in humans came from chamomile, which has many compounds [3][4]. One 2026 trial tested an evening blend that included apigenin, and it did not stand out [5]. We rate the evidence E.

How much apigenin per day?

There is no established dose. The one trial we found used 50 mg a day of apigenin, as part of an evening blend with magnesium threonate and L-theanine, for two weeks, and it did not stand out [5]. Long-term effects are unknown. This is an amount used in a study, not a recommendation.

Who should not take apigenin?

Check with a doctor or pharmacist first if you take any regular medicine, especially losartan or others processed by the liver [8], take sleep medicines or sedatives, have a sleep disorder, are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to conceive or under 18, have a long-term condition, or are allergic to chamomile or related plants. We found no safety trials of purified apigenin in people.

Can you take apigenin with magnesium glycinate?

We found no study testing apigenin with magnesium glycinate. The one blend trial used magnesium threonate, L-theanine and apigenin together and did not stand out [5], so it can’t tell us whether apigenin adds anything. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before combining supplements, especially if you take any medicine.

Related pages

• L-theanine
• Sulforaphane
• Quercetin
• Longevity supplements for beginners: where this fits in a beginner’s routine
• All supplements A-Z

Talk to your doctor

This page is for general information and is not medical advice. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take any medicine, or have a health condition.

References

We cite only studies and official pages we checked against PubMed, the publisher or the agency’s own site. The A to E evidence grades are explained in our editorial policy. See also our medical disclaimer and affiliate disclosure.

1. Viola H, Wasowski C, Levi de Stein M, Wolfman C, et al. Apigenin, a component of Matricaria recutita flowers, is a central benzodiazepine receptors-ligand with anxiolytic effects. Planta Med. 1995. PubMed · DOI
2. Salehi B, Venditti A, Sharifi-Rad M, Kręgiel D, et al. The Therapeutic Potential of Apigenin. Int J Mol Sci. 2019. PubMed · DOI
3. Hieu TH, Dibas M, Surya Dila KA, Sherif NA, et al. Therapeutic efficacy and safety of chamomile for state anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, and sleep quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials and quasi-randomized trials. Phytother Res. 2019. PubMed · DOI
4. Kazemi A, Shojaei-Zarghani S, Eskandarzadeh P, Hashempur MH. Effects of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) on sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Complement Ther Med. 2024. PubMed · DOI
5. Mastrofini GF, Romersi RF, Lombardi MG, Persaud KT, et al. Modulating stress and sleep through a multi-compound dietary supplement: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2026. PubMed · DOI
6. Meyer H, Bolarinwa A, Wolfram G, Linseisen J. Bioavailability of apigenin from apiin-rich parsley in humans. Ann Nutr Metab. 2006. PubMed · DOI
7. DeRango-Adem EF, Blay J. Does Oral Apigenin Have Real Potential for a Therapeutic Effect in the Context of Human Gastrointestinal and Other Cancers?. Front Pharmacol. 2021. PubMed · DOI
8. Wang Z, Gong Y, Zeng DL, Chen LG, et al. Inhibitory Effect of Apigenin on Losartan Metabolism and CYP2C9 Activity in vitro. Pharmacology. 2016. PubMed · DOI
9. Rosapharma. Novel Food Status Catalogue updates, January 2026 (new entry: apigenin (≥98%) isolated from the aerial parts of Matricaria chamomilla L., unauthorised novel food; secondary summary of the European Commission catalogue). rosapharma.pt (accessed 1 November 2026)
10. Food Standards Agency. Authorised novel food register (search: apigenin; no authorisation found). data.food.gov.uk (accessed 1 November 2026)