Best Tea for Anxiety: 8 Calming Teas, Ranked by Clinical Evidence
The best teas for anxiety are chamomile, passionflower and lemon balm. Chamomile extract reduced anxiety scores more than placebo in an eight-week trial of generalised anxiety disorder; passionflower matched the benzodiazepine oxazepam over four weeks in a small head-to-head trial; and lemon balm reduced anxiety and depression scores across pooled trials. The effects are real but moderate, roughly a few points on a clinical anxiety scale, and they build over days to weeks rather than minutes.
Be clear about what a cup can and cannot do. Most of these trials used concentrated extracts in capsules; a tea delivers a smaller, less standardised dose. What tea adds is the pause: a hot drink, a slow breath, a deliberate five minutes away from the phone. For everyday nerves, a looming presentation or a jittery evening, that combination is often enough. For an anxiety disorder, tea is a sidekick to therapy, not a replacement.
See a clinician rather than relying on tea if anxiety has lasted most days for six months, if you are having panic attacks, if you are avoiding work, people or places because of it, if it comes with low mood or thoughts of self-harm, or if you have chest pain, palpitations or breathlessness that could be physical. Cognitive behavioural therapy has the strongest evidence of anything on this page.
Quick answer
- Chamomile — the best-studied anxiety tea; reduced generalised anxiety scores versus placebo in an eight-week trial
- Passionflower — matched oxazepam over four weeks in a small trial and eased pre-surgery nerves within 90 minutes
- Lemon balm — calms within an hour in lab-stress studies; pooled trials show lower anxiety and depression scores
- Ashwagandha root (as a decoction) — cut perceived stress by 44% and cortisol by 28% in 60 days, in extract form
- Holy basil (tulsi) — 39% greater improvement in stress symptoms than placebo over six weeks
- Green tea — its theanine smooths the stress response, but the caffeine can work against you; choose decaf or matcha in small doses
The 8 best teas for anxiety
Ranked by the strength of human evidence. Strong = multiple trials or a meta-analysis. Moderate = a few small trials. Preliminary = early, traditional or animal data.
In the key trial, 57 adults with mild-to-moderate generalised anxiety disorder took 220 to 1,100 mg of chamomile extract daily for eight weeks; their Hamilton Anxiety scores fell significantly more than on placebo. A later 12-week open-label phase in 179 people with GAD produced a clinically meaningful drop in anxiety, though the randomised continuation phase did not show a significant reduction in relapse. A 2019 meta-analysis of 12 randomised trials confirmed a benefit for GAD after two to four weeks of use. Apigenin, the active flavonoid, acts on GABA-A receptors.
- Key evidence
- Amsterdam et al., Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology 2009 (RCT, n=57); Hieu et al., Phytotherapy Research 2019 (meta-analysis).
- How to brew it
- 2 to 3 g dried flowers (a heaped tablespoon or two bags), 200 ml water just off the boil, covered, 10 minutes; two to three cups a day, daily for at least two weeks.
- Best for
- Generalised, low-grade worry; the safest daily tea for most people, including older adults.
- Cautions
- Possible interaction with warfarin (case report of raised INR). Avoid if allergic to ragweed, daisies or chrysanthemums. Mildly sedating at high doses when combined with other sedatives. Daily medicinal doses are not well studied in pregnancy.
A four-week double-blind trial in 36 people with generalised anxiety disorder found passionflower extract (45 drops a day) lowered Hamilton Anxiety scores as much as 30 mg of oxazepam, with slower onset but less impairment of work performance. In 60 surgical patients, 500 mg of passionflower taken 90 minutes before the operation reduced pre-operative anxiety versus placebo without slowing recovery. A 2020 systematic review of nine trials concluded it has consistent anxiolytic effects. Passionflower's flavonoids and the alkaloid-free fractions appear to increase GABA signalling.
- Key evidence
- Akhondzadeh et al., Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics 2001 (RCT vs oxazepam); Movafegh et al., Anesthesia & Analgesia 2008 (RCT, n=60).
- How to brew it
- 2 g dried herb (a heaped teaspoon), 200 ml just-boiled water, covered, 10 minutes; two cups a day, or one cup an hour before a stressful event.
- Best for
- Acute situational anxiety (interviews, flights, dental work) and anxiety that keeps you awake.
- Cautions
- Sedating; do not combine with benzodiazepines, sleeping pills, alcohol or opioids. Avoid in pregnancy and stop two weeks before surgery. Can lower blood pressure a little.
Lemon balm works fast in the lab: in 18 volunteers, a single 600 mg dose of leaf extract increased self-rated calmness and blunted the stress of a demanding cognitive task within an hour, while 300 mg improved mental maths speed. A 2021 meta-analysis of clinical trials found a significant reduction in both anxiety and depression scores. In 80 people with stable angina, 3 g a day for eight weeks lowered anxiety, depression and stress scores and improved sleep versus placebo. Rosmarinic acid, which slows GABA breakdown, is the main active.
- Key evidence
- Kennedy et al., Psychosomatic Medicine 2004 (acute RCT); Ghazizadeh et al., Phytotherapy Research 2021 (meta-analysis); Haybar et al., Clinical Nutrition ESPEN 2018.
- How to brew it
- 1.5 to 4.5 g (1 to 3 teaspoons) dried or fresh leaf, 200 ml water at 90°C, covered, 10 minutes; up to three cups a day. Fresh leaf tastes far better than dried.
- Best for
- Anxiety mixed with low mood, and nervous stomach; a good daytime tea because it does not make you drowsy.
- Cautions
- Inhibits thyroid-stimulating hormone binding in laboratory studies, so people on levothyroxine or with thyroid disease should keep to one to two cups and mention it to their clinician. Additive with sedatives. Culinary amounts are fine in pregnancy; daily high doses are untested.
Ashwagandha has the most robust anxiety data of any herb here, but in extract form. In 64 adults with chronic stress, 300 mg of root extract twice daily for 60 days cut Perceived Stress Scale scores by 44% versus 5.5% on placebo and lowered serum cortisol by 28%. A 2019 trial of 240 mg a day for 60 days reduced Hamilton Anxiety scores and morning cortisol. A 2022 meta-analysis of 12 trials found significant reductions in both anxiety and stress. A simmered root decoction delivers the same withanolides at a lower, less standardised dose, so expect a gentler version of the trial effect.
- Key evidence
- Chandrasekhar et al., Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine 2012 (RCT, n=64); Akhgarjand et al., Phytotherapy Research 2022 (meta-analysis).
- How to brew it
- 3 to 5 g dried root pieces or 1 teaspoon root powder, 300 ml water, simmered gently for 10 to 15 minutes (traditionally in half milk), strained; once daily in the evening for at least four weeks.
- Best for
- Anxiety driven by chronic stress and poor sleep; people who want a daily, cumulative effect rather than a quick fix.
- Cautions
- Can raise thyroid hormone levels, so avoid with hyperthyroidism and tell your clinician if you take levothyroxine. Avoid in pregnancy, with autoimmune disease flares and alongside sedatives or immunosuppressants. Rare reports of liver injury with supplements; stop if you develop nausea, dark urine or jaundice.
In a six-week double-blind trial of 150 adults with general stress, 1,200 mg a day of holy basil extract improved overall stress symptoms, including forgetfulness, exhaustion and sleep problems, 39% more than placebo. An eight-week 2022 trial of 125 mg twice daily in 100 stressed adults reduced perceived stress, improved sleep quality and lowered hair cortisol versus placebo. An earlier open study in generalised anxiety disorder found lower anxiety, stress and depression scores after 60 days. Tulsi is a daily tea in India, so the tea form is at least traditional practice.
- Key evidence
- Saxena et al., Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2012 (RCT, n=150); Lopresti et al., Frontiers in Nutrition 2022 (RCT, n=100).
- How to brew it
- 1 to 2 teaspoons (2 to 3 g) dried leaf, 200 ml water at 90 to 95°C, covered, 5 to 8 minutes; two to three cups a day. Tastes peppery and clove-like.
- Best for
- Daytime stress and anxiety in people who do not want anything sedating.
- Cautions
- May lower blood sugar and has mild antiplatelet effects, so take care with diabetes drugs and blood thinners. Animal studies show reduced fertility at high doses; avoid if trying to conceive or pregnant. Contains eugenol; very high intake can stress the liver.
Kava has the most anxiety trials of any plant: a 2003 Cochrane review of seven placebo-controlled trials found kava extract lowered Hamilton Anxiety scores by about 3.9 points more than placebo. A six-week 2013 trial in 75 people with GAD agreed, but the largest and longest trial, 171 people over 16 weeks in 2020, found no difference from placebo. The effect is real in the short term, strongest in people with higher baseline anxiety, and uncertain beyond a couple of months. It is also the only tea here with a formal liver-injury warning from regulators.
- Key evidence
- Pittler & Ernst, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2003 (7 RCTs); Sarris et al., Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 2020 (RCT, n=171).
- How to brew it
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of noble-variety kava root powder steeped and kneaded in 250 ml warm (not boiling) water for 5 to 10 minutes, strained through a cloth; one serving in the evening, not daily for more than a few weeks.
- Best for
- Short-term, occasional anxiety in healthy adults with normal liver function who do not drink alcohol that evening.
- Cautions
- Linked to rare but serious liver injury; never combine with alcohol, paracetamol in high doses, or other liver-stressing drugs, and avoid entirely with liver disease. Strongly additive with benzodiazepines and sedatives, impairs driving, and causes a scaly skin rash with heavy use. Avoid in pregnancy, breastfeeding and Parkinson's disease.
Green tea's L-theanine, at 200 mg, reduced heart rate and salivary immunoglobulin responses to a mental arithmetic stressor in a controlled study of 12 adults, and a 2020 systematic review found 200 to 400 mg a day reduced stress and anxiety in people under stressful conditions. The problem is dose and caffeine: a cup of green tea has roughly 10 to 25 mg of theanine and 20 to 45 mg of caffeine, and caffeine raises anxiety in sensitive people. Matcha, which is whole-leaf, delivers more theanine per serving (about 20 to 40 mg in 2 g) and the combination has been shown to blunt stress-related cognitive dips.
- Key evidence
- Kimura et al., Biological Psychology 2007; Williams et al., Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 2020 (systematic review of theanine).
- How to brew it
- Decaf green tea, 2 g per 200 ml at 70 to 75°C for 2 minutes; or 1 g (half a teaspoon) matcha whisked in 80 ml water at 75°C, once in the morning only.
- Best for
- Green-tea drinkers who feel calmer, not jittery, after a cup; not for people whose anxiety spikes with caffeine.
- Cautions
- Caffeine worsens panic and generalised anxiety in susceptible people; if you have panic attacks, choose decaf or skip. Reduces iron absorption with meals and may worsen reflux. Keep intake steady if you take warfarin or nadolol.
Lavender has strong anxiety evidence, but for Silexan, an oral lavender-oil capsule: in 539 adults with GAD, 160 mg a day for 10 weeks lowered Hamilton Anxiety scores by 14.1 points versus 9.5 on placebo, comparable to paroxetine, and a 2019 meta-analysis of five trials confirmed the effect. Lavender tea contains far less essential oil and has no anxiety trial of its own; its one tea trial, in postnatal women, found less fatigue and depression after two weeks. The scent-driven calm is real but modest.
- Key evidence
- Kasper et al., International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology 2014 (Silexan RCT, n=539); Chen & Chen, Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing 2015 (tea RCT).
- How to brew it
- 1 to 2 teaspoons (about 1.5 g) dried culinary lavender buds, 200 ml water at 90°C, 5 minutes, strained; best blended with chamomile or lemon balm.
- Best for
- Light, evening anxiety and people who respond to the scent; a blend ingredient more than a stand-alone.
- Cautions
- Mildly sedating; additive with sedatives. Oral lavender oil has case reports of breast growth in boys, so keep children's intake occasional. Culinary lavender is low-risk in pregnancy; concentrated oil is not.
How to choose
- Daily background worry: chamomile two to three cups a day for at least two weeks; add lemon balm if there is low mood too.
- A single stressful event coming up: passionflower or lemon balm an hour before; both work within the hour.
- Anxiety plus exhaustion and poor sleep from chronic stress: an evening ashwagandha decoction for four to eight weeks, or holy basil in the daytime.
- Anxiety plus panic or a racing heart: avoid caffeine entirely (including green tea and matcha) and choose chamomile or passionflower.
- Anxiety and depression together: lemon balm and holy basil have the best data for both; see a clinician, because depression responds well to treatment.
- On SSRIs, benzodiazepines or sleeping pills: chamomile, lemon balm or holy basil only; skip kava and go easy on passionflower and valerian.
What to skip
CBD-infused teas
The anxiety trials of CBD used 300 to 600 mg; most CBD teas contain 5 to 20 mg, and CBD is fat-soluble, so very little dissolves in hot water. You are paying for the label.
St John's wort tea for anxiety
Its evidence is for mild-to-moderate depression, not anxiety, and it interacts with SSRIs, the contraceptive pill, blood thinners and many other drugs. Tea is also an unreliable way to dose it.
Blue lotus tea
Marketed as calming and euphoric, it contains psychoactive alkaloids and has no controlled trials for anxiety. Unknown dose, unknown safety.
Valerian as a daytime anxiety tea
Valerian's evidence is for sleep; a Cochrane review found only one small trial for anxiety, and it causes daytime drowsiness. Keep it for bedtime.
Safety and when to see a clinician
- Caffeine is the most common dietary driver of anxiety symptoms. If you have panic attacks or a racing heart, switch all tea to decaf or herbal before adding calming herbs.
- Kava carries a liver-injury warning; never combine it with alcohol, use it for more than a few weeks, or take it with liver disease. Stop any herb and seek care if you develop dark urine, pale stools or yellow skin.
- Passionflower, kava, valerian and high-dose chamomile add to the effect of benzodiazepines, zolpidem, opioids, antihistamines and alcohol. Tell your prescriber what you drink.
- Lemon balm and ashwagandha both affect thyroid signalling in opposite directions; people on levothyroxine or with thyroid disease should check with their clinician before daily use.
- Pregnancy: chamomile and small amounts of lemon balm are considered acceptable; avoid passionflower, kava, ashwagandha, holy basil and lavender oil.
- See a clinician if anxiety has lasted six months, causes panic attacks or avoidance, comes with low mood or thoughts of self-harm, or if symptoms like chest pain, palpitations or weight loss could be a physical illness such as an overactive thyroid.
What matters as much as the tea
- Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety has the strongest evidence of any intervention, with lasting benefit after treatment ends.
- Aerobic exercise, 30 minutes most days, reduces anxiety scores about as much as the herbs above and compounds with them.
- Slow breathing at around six breaths a minute for five minutes lowers heart rate and anxiety within the session; it is the active ingredient in most tea rituals.
- Alcohol relieves anxiety for two hours and increases it for the next twenty-four; cutting back is often the biggest single change.
- Protect sleep: short sleep amplifies the amygdala's threat response the next day, which is why anxiety and insomnia feed each other.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most calming tea for anxiety?
Chamomile has the best overall evidence and safety, with an eight-week placebo-controlled trial in generalised anxiety disorder. Passionflower is the strongest for fast, situational calm, matching oxazepam in a small trial. For most people, chamomile daily plus passionflower before specific stressful events covers both needs.
How quickly does tea work for anxiety?
Lemon balm and passionflower show measurable calming within one to two hours in lab studies. Chamomile, ashwagandha and holy basil work cumulatively; trials measured benefit at two to eight weeks of daily use. Any warm drink plus five minutes of slow breathing calms the body within minutes.
Is green tea good or bad for anxiety?
Both. Its theanine reduces the physiological stress response, but its caffeine raises anxiety in sensitive people and can trigger panic. If you feel calm and focused after green tea, it is fine in the morning; if you feel jittery, switch to decaf green or a caffeine-free herbal tea.
Which tea helps with anxiety and depression together?
Lemon balm has pooled trial data showing lower scores for both anxiety and depression, and holy basil improved stress, anxiety and depression scores in a 60-day study. Chamomile extract also reduced depressive symptoms in people with anxiety. None replaces treatment for depression, which responds well to therapy and medication.
Can I drink calming tea with antidepressants?
Chamomile, lemon balm and holy basil are generally compatible with SSRIs. Avoid kava and St John's wort, and use passionflower and valerian cautiously because of added sedation. Ashwagandha has limited interaction data; mention it to your prescriber. Always tell your doctor what you are drinking daily.
Does chamomile tea really reduce anxiety?
Yes, modestly. The trials used capsules of concentrated extract (220 to 1,500 mg a day), which is more than a cup of tea, but a 2019 meta-analysis found consistent improvement in generalised anxiety after two to four weeks. Two to three strong, covered cups a day is a reasonable approximation.
Is kava tea safe for anxiety?
For healthy adults with normal liver function, occasional noble kava for a few weeks is probably safe, and the short-term trials are positive. It is not safe with alcohol, liver disease, sedatives or daily long-term use, and the largest trial found no benefit at 16 weeks. Safer teas exist for most people.
References
- Amsterdam JD, Li Y, Soeller I, Rockwell K, Mao JJ, Shults J. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral Matricaria recutita (chamomile) extract therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology (2009)
- 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)
- Akhondzadeh S, Naghavi HR, Vazirian M, Shayeganpour A, Rashidi H, Khani M. Passionflower in the treatment of generalized anxiety: a pilot double-blind randomized controlled trial with oxazepam. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics (2001)
- Movafegh A, Alizadeh R, Hajimohamadi F, Esfehani F, Nejatfar M. Preoperative oral Passiflora incarnata reduces anxiety in ambulatory surgery patients: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Anesthesia & Analgesia (2008)
- Kennedy DO, Little W, Scholey AB. Attenuation of laboratory-induced stress in humans after acute administration of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm). Psychosomatic Medicine (2004)
- Ghazizadeh J, Sadigh-Eteghad S, Marx W, et al.. The effects of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) on depression and anxiety in clinical trials: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytotherapy Research (2021)
- Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S. A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine (2012)
- Saxena RC, Singh R, Kumar P, et al.. Efficacy of an extract of Ocimum tenuiflorum (OciBest) in the management of general stress: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2012)
- Williams JL, Everett JM, D'Cunha NM, et al.. The effects of green tea amino acid L-theanine consumption on the ability to manage stress and anxiety levels: a systematic review. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition (2020)
- Pittler MH, Ernst E. Kava extract for treating anxiety. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2003)
- Sarris J, Byrne GJ, Bousman CA, et al.. Kava for generalised anxiety disorder: a 16-week double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (2020)
- Kasper S, Gastpar M, Müller WE, et al.. Lavender oil preparation Silexan is effective in generalized anxiety disorder: a randomized, double-blind comparison to placebo and paroxetine. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (2014)
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Ask about tea for anxietyThis guide is educational and is not medical advice. Herbal teas can interact with prescription medicines. Talk with a clinician or pharmacist before relying on any of them, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a chronic condition, or take medication.