Perilla seeds: nutrition, health effects and industrial uses
What it found
Perilla seeds are rich in omega-3 fats and other nutrients, and extracts have shown antioxidant, antidiabetic, antiobesity, cardioprotective, anticancer, antimicrobial, neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects in lab and animal studies.
Some benefits have also been tested in people.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Antioxidant activity
Perilla seeds contain antioxidants like rosmarinic acid and luteolin. In lab tests, extracts neutralised free radicals, and brown seeds had higher antioxidant capacity than white perilla, flax and chia seeds.
Blood sugar and diabetes
In a type 2 diabetes mouse model, perilla sprouted seed extract improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Perilla oil also changed gut bacteria in a way that might help glucose metabolism.
Weight and liver fat
In rats and mice, perilla oil reduced liver fat, inflammation, and cholesterol levels. A 12-week study in obese mice found antiobesity effects.
Heart protection
In mice fed a high-fat diet for 90 days, perilla oil lowered serum cholesterol and liver triglycerides compared to palm oil. In rabbit platelets, it reduced clotting.
Studies in people and animals
Cancer and clinical trials
Perilla seed oil delayed breast cancer progression in rats and humans, and inhibited breast cancer cells in the lab. Combining it with chemotherapy in breast cancer patients may be helpful.
Other findings
Omega-3 fats in oil
Perilla seed oil is about 60% omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid, one of the highest among vegetable oils. It has over 90% unsaturated fats and a low omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 0.20.
What the authors conclude
“Historical consumption in Asia with minimal adverse effects highlights the nutritional advantages of properly prepared PSO, although comprehensive toxicological studies are imperative to establish safe consumption thresholds.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say that perilla seed oil has nutritional, culinary and therapeutic importance, especially its omega-3 fats and plant compounds.
- They call for clinical trials to confirm health benefits and for studies to establish safe consumption levels.
- They also recommend crop improvement and sustainable farming to expand perilla use.
How it was done
The authors wanted to gather what is known about perilla, an underused oilseed crop, because it is rich in nutrients and plant compounds and could help with food security and sustainable farming.
They searched scientific databases for studies on perilla up to 2023, screened hundreds of papers, and included 96 high-quality studies in their review.
What it can’t tell you
- Many of the health effects come from animal or lab studies, so they cannot show what happens in people.
- The review did not find large human trials for most benefits, so it cannot say how much perilla helps in people.
- The authors note that safety limits for perilla oil are not yet established.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors assert that they have no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, India; Punjab Agricultural University, India; Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Switzerland
The paper
- Title
- A comprehensive review on nutritional, nutraceutical, and industrial perspectives of perilla ( Perilla frutscens L.) seeds - An orphan oilseed crop
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Kaur S, Seem K, Ali A, et al (2024). A comprehensive review on nutritional, nutraceutical, and industrial perspectives of perilla ( Perilla frutscens L.) seeds - An orphan oilseed crop. Heliyon. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33281Free full textPubMed 39022021DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error