Perilla mint can be an excellent addition to your pantry or apothecary.
This plant is very popular in Eastern medicine and cuisine. Fortunately for those living stateside, it grows extremely prolifically across the US during warm weather.
Discover the top 10 ways you can use perilla mint to enhance your cooking and wellness routine!
10 Perilla Mint Uses And Benefits
1. Delicious Edible
Perilla mint, also known as beefsteak plant, shiso, or Chinese basil, is a member of the Lamiaceae family, like spearmint and purple dead nettle.
The plant is an excellent edible cooked or raw. The taste is peppery, acidic, and slightly reminiscent of anise — though this likely varies by location and species. Either way, it’s unlike any mint you’ve ever had.
Perilla is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants. It is perfect in a salad mix, stewed, baked into casseroles, or pickled for a bit of crunch. Fresh leaves are incredible crushed into a refreshing cocktail or lemonade, and you can dry the leftovers to use in a spice mix all year.
2. DIY Vegetable Oil
Around here, we have acres of fields and dry river bottoms overtaken by perilla. If you’ve got this much to work with, you can afford to render those seeds into oil.
You must harvest the seeds at maturity, and harvesting by hand will take time and patience. You’ll also need an oil press. An all-electric press is a breeze to operate, but it can be expensive. Options like the Piteba expeller press are more challenging to use but much more affordable.
Perilla oil is highly prized for culinary and cosmetic applications. It is rich in omega-3s and has a unique flavor with a rich, nutty, and slightly sweet undertone.
3. Anti-Inflammatory
This plant is a potent anti-inflammatory agent that is useful under numerous circumstances. Perilla’s “secret sauce” is a polyphenolic flavonoid called luteolin, which reduces inflammation throughout the body by limiting the release of inflammatory cytokines.
Perilla also has anti-pruritic (anti-itch) effects, so it’s especially effective for topical application. Infusing perilla leaves in oil and making a salve could help skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and other irritations.
4. Wound-Healing
Perilla contains Isoegomaketone, a compound that speeds up wound healing by encouraging the growth of new cells. Next time you get cut in the field, make a poultice of perilla leaves to put on the wound.
Another option is to make perilla oil. Infuse dried perilla leaves in an oil for several weeks, then strain them out. You can gently rub the oil directly on the skin or combine it with beeswax to make a salve.
5. Antimicrobial
The luteolin in perilla seed has antimicrobial properties that have been proven especially effective against gingivitis and oral strep.
Leaves have shown inhibitory activity against staphylococcus, particularly when used in an ethanolic extraction.
Using perilla as an antimicrobial could be as simple as eating the leaves, or you could make an alcohol-based tincture to take internally. For topical applications, making perilla soap is an excellent option.
6. DIY Skincare
Perilla seed oil is rich in Omega-3s and polyphenols, providing nourishment and hydration for the skin. It contains ALA fatty acids, which could induce the formation of ceramides, an essential protective skin barrier.
In one study, perilla leaves demonstrated a positive effect against UVB radiation. They enhanced skin cell repair after UVB exposure and exhibited antioxidant activity. Making an after-sun perilla salve is a great way to take advantage of its skin-healing properties.
7. Kidney Support
Perilla mint has been used as a kidney tonic for hundreds of years in traditional Chinese medicine. Modern research literature backs this up, with evidence suggesting perilla extracts are effective at treating even more advanced stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and renal failure.
According to research, the compound luteolin is likely the primary source of efficacy against CKD. To get at the luteolin, you’ll need to tincture perilla in high-ABV alcohol and supplement daily.
8. Gut Health
In one double-blind study, GI patients treated with perilla leaf extract showed significant improvement in digestive issues compared to those treated with a placebo. The extract helped with bloating, rumbling, feelings of fullness, and general GI discomfort.
Perilla seed oil is also great for gut health. In one study, patients received an 8-week supplementation with 9 grams of oil. Afterward, patients had significantly more diversity in gut microbiota and lower constipation scores.
The diversity persisted even after a 10-week washout period, indicating even short-term internal use of the oil could have longstanding effects.
9. Weight Control
One fascinating study demonstrates perilla’s potential ability to fight weight gain and subsequent illness. In lab rats fed a high-fat, hypercaloric diet, those who received perilla supplementation gained less weight over time. They also had improved blood-lipid profiles and accumulated less fat around the liver.
Does this mean perilla is your new magic weight-loss pill? No, but the results are interesting. You might try supplementing with perilla during periods when eating higher fat is necessary. Theoretically, it could help prevent excessive weight gain and cholesterol numbers shooting out of control.
10. Anti-Allergenic
Perilla is a popular remedy for hay fever and seasonal allergies. There is some evidence to back up its use for this application since leaves have displayed anti-itch and antihistamine effects against immediate allergic reactions.
Perilla contains rosmarinic acid, a known anti-inflammatory and allergy-soothing constituent. It could help when applied topically to minor skin reactions or when taken orally as a tincture during allergy season.
Contraindications
It is important to note that while perilla is safe for humans, it is not safe for animals. Many ruminants die from eating perilla, and the plant’s ketones can also cause sicknesses in household pets like dogs and cats.
The bottom line? Don’t allow your animals to munch on beefsteak plants.
If you have an abundance of perilla, that’s all the more reason to pick it! You’ll be doing the environment, your furry friends, and yourself a huge favor.
