Perilla

Perilla frutescens · Perilla seed oil · Perilla leaf extract

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Seasonal allergic rhinitis¹ Immune function support² Blood pressure in prehypertension³ LDL cholesterol⁴ Early cognitive impairment⁵	Pregnancy or breastfeeding⁶ Perilla seed allergy⁷

Perilla (Perilla frutescens) is a mint-family herb from East Asia whose leaves, seeds, and seed oil are used as food and in traditional medicine⁸. The seed oil is rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant omega-3 fatty acid. Leaf extracts are rich in rosmarinic acid, which has anti-allergic activity.¹ People take perilla for seasonal allergy symptoms, for blood pressure and cholesterol, and for immune, cognitive, and mood support.

A small placebo-controlled trial of a rosmarinic acid-enriched leaf extract found improved seasonal allergy symptoms¹. A pediatric trial of a perilla, quercetin, and vitamin D3 product added to antihistamines found lower nasal inflammation markers⁹. Perilla seed oil lowered low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol but did not improve cognition in patients with dementia⁴. In a 2025 in vitro study, rosmarinic acid from perilla inhibited adenosine deaminase, an enzyme tied to uric acid production; no human trial has tested it. About 420 products listing perilla are on the market, as capsules, powders, softgels, and liquids; see Form comparison.

Oleosin is a major perilla seed allergen, and anaphylaxis is documented in some allergic children. A product label in the United States directs people on anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications to consult a health care practitioner¹⁰.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

38 sources, 34 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources