With flavors reminiscent of mint, coriander, cinnamon, anise, basil, citrus, or clove, perilla is a plant with a distinct personality. This article explores the origins, nutritional value, health benefits, and culinary applications of purple perilla, focusing on its potential role in weight loss and overall well-being.
Origins and History
Perilla is native to the Himalayas, India, Myanmar, and China. In China, people have celebrated its healing gifts since at least 500 CE, when Tao Hongjing recorded the use of leaves and seeds in Ming Yi Bie Lu (Records of Renowned Physicians). Both the leaves and seeds are widely cultivated for food, medicine, and oil in Asian countries including China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam. In many cultures, perilla is a prime example of food as medicine.
After being introduced to the United States in the mid-nineteenth century, perilla quickly escaped from gardens and became a naturalized weed in the eastern US and Canada, where it may be found growing in disturbed areas, fields, pastures, woodlands, and along roadsides and streams.
Botanical Varieties
Botanical Name: Perilla frutescens, P. f. var. crispa, P. Perilla frutescens var. frutescens (photo above) is typically larger in size and cultivated for its seeds and seed oil, which are used in food, medicine, and woodcrafts. Perilla frutescens var. crispa (photo below) is smaller with frilly leaves.
Nutritional Profile
Not only admired for being super flavourful, these heart-shaped aromatic leaves that have jagged edges are also packed with all the essential nutrients that a human body needs to stay in good shape and health. The leaves are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, making them a valuable addition to a well-rounded diet. Here is a breakdown of the key nutrients found in perilla leaves:
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- Vitamins: Perilla leaves are abundant in vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins act as antioxidants, helping to protect the body against damage caused by free radicals and supporting overall immune health.
- Minerals: Perilla leaves contain minerals such as calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium. These minerals are vital for maintaining healthy bones, and muscle function, and for keeping the electrolyte balance.
- Polyphenols: Perilla leaves contain various polyphenols like rosmarinic acid, luteolin, and apigenin. Polyphenols have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which contribute to potential health benefits and help in warding off illnesses.
Perilla seeds and their oil are a rich plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids, specifically alpha-linolenic acid. Perilla seeds also contain phenolic compounds (such as rosmarinic acid), flavonoids (such as luteolin), and anthocyanins known for their antioxidant properties.
Health Benefits of Perilla
Perilla is a pungent and mildly warming plant with a long history of use for food and medicine.
Digestive Health
Other traditional applications include indigestion and constipation. Perilla’s gifts for digestion were examined in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Fifty subjects with gastrointestinal discomfort and reduced bowel movements were given a Perilla frutescens extract or placebo over four weeks.
Respiratory Ailments
Perilla is used in TCM for treating lung and respiratory ailments. For example, the leaf is used to alleviate coughs and asthma, and the seed is used to treat dyspnea (labored breathing), asthmatic coughs, and excessive phlegm. In a clinical study of chronic bronchitis, participants were given an infusion of 10 parts dried perilla leaf to 1 part dried ginger root for a ten-day course of treatment, with three days of rest between courses of treatment. In a study of patients with asthma, dietary supplementation with perilla seed oil was found to inhibit the generation of leukotrienes (inflammatory chemicals). In addition, patients had significantly decreased serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and phospholipid.
Allergy Relief
Japanese, Chinese, and Finnish scientists have studied perilla’s ability to relieve allergy symptoms associated with hay fever and atopic dermatitis. Perilla leaf extracts, perilla drinks, and topical products made with perilla seed oil have shown promise in clinical trials and patient self-evaluation. In another randomized, double-blind study, patients with mild seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis were treated for 21 days with extract of Perilla frutescens enriched for rosmarinic acid.
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Other Traditional Uses
Morning sickness is another application for perilla.
Perilla and Weight Loss
The leaf of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt (PF) has been reported to negatively affect adipocyte formation, inhibit body-fat formation, and lower body weight. However, its effect on adipocyte browning remains unknown. Thus, the mechanism of PF in promoting adipocyte browning was investigated. The ingredients of PF were acquired from the online database and filtered with oral bioavailability and drug-likeness criteria. The browning-related target genes were obtained from the Gene Card database. A Venn diagram was employed to obtain the overlapped genes that may play a part in PF promoting adipocyte browning, and an enrichment was analysis conducted based on these overlapped genes. A total of 17 active ingredients of PF were filtered, which may regulate intracellular receptor-signaling pathways, the activation of protein kinase activity, and other pathways through 56 targets. In vitro validation showed that PF promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and upregulates brite adipocyte-related gene expression. The browning effect of PF can be mediated by the p38 MAPK pathway as well as PI3K-AKT pathway. The study revealed that PF could promote adipocyte browning through multitargets and multipathways.
Antiobesity Effects
Purple perilla (PE) is a medicinal plant that has several health benefits. In this study, the antiobesity effect of PE was studied in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and C57BL/6J mice fed high-fat diets. Triglyceride quantification and Oil Red O staining in matured adipocytes revealed that PE reduced lipid accumulation in differentiated adipocytes by downregulating adipogenic gene and upregulating lipolytic gene expressions. Mice were fed normal diet, high-fat diet and high-fat diet supplemented with different concentrations of PE. Treatment with PE significantly prevented body weight gain, improved serum lipids, hepatic lipids and reduced the epididymal fat. Furthermore, in the adipose tissue and liver, expression of genes related to lipolysis and fatty acid β-oxidation were upregulated in PE- treated mice. Purple perilla, rich in polyphenols such as rosmarinic acid, showed lipid lowering in adipocyte cells and prevented body weight gain in mice.
Molecular Mechanisms
Network pharmacology methods were used in combination with molecular docking to reveal the potential molecular mechanisms of PF promoting adipocyte browning, and results were validated by experimental evidence. The overall workflow of the study.
The ingredients in PF were obtained through the symMap database, the Traditional Chinese Medicines Integrated Database (TCMID), and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP). The chemicals with oral bioavailability ≥30% and with violations of no more than two items in the five criteria of drug-likeness were screened out as competent pharmacological compounds for further study.
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Adipocyte browning-related genes were found in the GeneCards database; “adipocyte browning” and “adipose browning” were used as search keywords. Protein-encoding genes with a disease relevance score ≥3 were chosen for further investigation.
The overlapped genes of both PF-related genes and browning-associated targets were filtered by a Venn diagram. Based on the aforementioned overlapped genes, a topological interaction network was created after inputting the list of genes into the String database, intending to screen out the hub genes. For the topological network establishment, the interaction score was set as 0.4. Further topological analysis was performed using the MCODE plugin of Cytoscape, which was used to screen out the core clusters from the entire network.
The potential pathways and biological functions of the overlapped genes were predicted using enrichment analysis. The R package “cluster profile” was used to execute the analysis. The enriched items with an adjusted p-value < 0.01 were set as the cutoff values.
Culinary Uses
Perilla leaves may be eaten raw, cooked, or preserved, and they can add a distinctive flavor and color to salads, soups, wrapped foods, pickles, and more. I often chiffonade or thinly slice perilla leaves to scatter over summer foods like sliced tomatoes, fruit salads, and cold noodle salads. Purple perilla leaves can be used to make beautiful and refreshing beverages; see this recipe for Shiso Vinegar, for example.
Regional Variations
- Vietnamese cuisine: The common variety of perilla (tía tô) is bicolored green and purple. People eat it in soups as well as seafood and cold noodle dishes.
- Korean cuisine: The most common type of perilla (kkaennip or “wild sesame leaf”) has large, broad leaves and a bold flavor. The leaves are used as wraps (ssam) for grilled meats and they are added to stews and other dishes. In Korean cuisine, whole or ground roasted perilla seeds (deulkkae) are added to soups, stews, vegetable dishes, and drinks.
- Japanese cuisine: Cooks may serve frilly green shiso leaves (aojiso or oba) in salads, as a garnish for sashimi, and battered and fried as tempura. Purple shiso leaves (akajiso) are often used to color drinks and pickles. Dried perilla leaves can be used to make tea. They can also be crumbled into furikake (Japanese rice seasoning) and then sprinkled on rice, vegetables, or other foods.
- Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India: Perilla (bhangjeera) leaves are cooked as a vegetable and used to make tea. Roasted perilla seeds have an earthy, nutty taste. In Uttarakhand, roasted and ground perilla (bhangjeera) seeds are used to flavor chutneys.
Recipes
Perilla Herb Curry
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh, washed, and chopped perilla leaves
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 3 pureed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder or you can adjust per spice preference
- A pinch of dry mango powder
- Salt to taste
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 cup water
- Fresh coriander leaves to garnish
Method
- Heat oil in a pan
- Add cumin seeds, and let them splutter
- Add chopped onions and cook until they turn golden brown
- Add ginger-garlic paste cook for a minute and let the raw smell go away completely
- Add tomato puree, turmeric powder, red chili powder, dry mango powder, coriander powder, and salt
- Cook until the oil separates from the mixture of spices
- Add chopped perilla leaves and cook for about three minutes
- Add the water slowly and cover to let it simmer
- Allow the perilla leaves to turn tender
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves
Perilla herb curry is ready to be served. Serve with rice or Indian bread and enjoy the rich and aromatic flavours of the herb.
Perilla And Garlic Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 cup washed and chopped fresh perilla leaves
- 2 green chilies
- 1/2 cup grated coconut
- 1 small, chopped onion
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- Salt to taste
- A few cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
Method
- Heat oil in a pan to chopped onions and let them turn brown
- Add perilla leaves and green chilies
- Let the leaves wilt
- Add grated coconut, tamarind paste, garlic cloves and salt
- Cook for about five minutes
- Allow the mixture to cool, then blend into a smooth chutney
Serve with rice or as a side dish with your favorite Indian meal. Enjoy the flavourful and easy perilla herb chutney.
Growing and Sourcing Perilla
Perilla is a warm weather annual. It prefers full sun to partial shade and fertile, well-drained, moist soil. In dry climates, it may prefer the humidity of a greenhouse. For years I struggled to grow perilla in my Southern California garden. Different varieties of perilla seeds are available from companies like Kitazawa Seed Company, TrueLove Seeds, and Johnny’s Selected Seeds. To improve germination, soak the seeds for up to 24 hours before sowing. Perilla is also easy to grow from cuttings.
Look for bunches of fresh herbs in the produce section of Asian grocery stores. Plants will readily self-seed and can become invasive, so be mindful of unintended spread in gardens or native ecosystems. In addition to growing or wildcrafting perilla, you can find fresh leaves in the produce section of many Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese grocery stores. The seeds can often be found on Korean market shelves near the sesame seeds. Perilla seed oil can also be found in Korean markets.
Precautions
Perilla leaf extracts are available in powder and supplement form and while perilla leaves offer numerous health benefits and is quite safe like other green herbs, it is important to be aware of its potential side effects as well. Always be mindful of possible allergies the herb may bring and consult a healthcare provider before incorporating perilla leaves into your routine, especially if you have any pre-existing medical conditions or are taking medications. Consider the following points before adding perilla leaves to your daily diet:
- Allergies: Some individuals may experience allergic reactions to perilla leaves, leading to symptoms like itching, rashes, or respiratory distress. Always consult with a healthcare professional if you have a chronic history of allergies.
- Blood Clotting: Perilla leaves contain compounds that possess anti-platelet activity. While this characteristic can be beneficial for cardiovascular health, individuals taking blood-thinning medications should exercise caution when consuming perilla leaves to avoid excessive blood thinning.
- Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women: It is recommended that pregnant and breastfeeding women consult their healthcare provider before consuming perilla leaves or its supplements.