Just as its name implies, Perilla seeds mainly refers to the ripe fruits or seeds of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt, which is a plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. Perilla nankinensis (Lour.) Decne. is its synonym. It is native to in East Asia and traditionally there are two different varieties – P. frutescens var. crispa and P. frutescens var. frutescens. In China it is mainly produced in provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, and Henan. It is usually harvested and then dried in the sun in autumn when the fruits are ripe. Medicinally the seed is often used smashed (ground), raw or slightly fried.

Its fruit is ovoid or spherical and in diameter of 0.6 to 2mm. Surface is gray-brown and with slightly raised dark purple mesh pattern and slightly sharp base with off-white punctate stem scar. Peel is thin, brittle, and easily crushed. Seeds are yellowish white; seed coat is membranous; cotyledons are 2, white, and rich in oil. If crushed, it emits aroma. And it tastes slightly acrid.

Perilla Seeds

PERILLA SEEDS BENEFITS
The whole shiso plant has a high nutritional value and is characterized as low sugar, high fiber, high carotene, and high mineral elements. More importantly, it also contains the active ingredient that is able to inhibit reactive oxygen and prevent aging. Its leaves are also rich in nutrition, in particular carotene and vitamin C, B2, which can help strengthen the body's immune function. According studies, up to 106.2 micrograms of SODs (superoxide dismutase enzymes), a known antioxidant, is contained in per mg of perilla leaves. That's to say, eating it on daily basis can defy aging. As a result, these days perilla plant has been grown on a large scale for commercial purpose in many countries, including Russia, Japan , South Korea, the United States, Canada, and the like. And dozens of perilla products, such as cooking oil, medicines, pickle, and cosmetics, have been developed.

Perilla oil is distilled from the whole pant while perilla seed oil is from its seeds. Long-term consumption of this oil can greatly help the treatment of coronary heart disease and high cholesterol. More than that, the World Health Organization has concluded its health benefits as follows:
1) Improve intelligence and brain fitness;
2) Resist aging;
3) Reduce cholesterol levels and lower blood lipids;
4) Reduces thrombus formation;
5) Inhibit tumor;
6) Improve the reflectivity of the retina and enhance vision;
7) Benefit a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. So, it is ideal for pregnant women, lactating women, and people with high cholesterol.