What are the benefits of drinking perilla leaf tea?

Benefits of perilla leaves

Perilla is a perennial herbaceous plant with white, pungent, and spicy tuberous roots. It grows wild or is cultivated in many places throughout Vietnam and Asia. The plant prefers sunlight and moisture, and thrives in loamy and alluvial soils. Perilla flowers and produces many fruits; after the fruits mature, the plant withers, and the seeds are dispersed, germinating in the following year's rainy season. The plant is propagated from seeds.

Perilla is a popular herb, not only used as a condiment but also for its medicinal properties. In traditional medicine, perilla is classified as a diaphoretic; decoctions and alcoholic extracts of perilla leaves have the effect of dilating blood vessels in the skin, reducing fever, and treating colds. It is also used to make tea and as a tonic, while perilla stems are used to promote a healthy pregnancy.

Numerous studies show that perilla leaves contain approximately 40% oil, a large amount of which is unsaturated fatty acids, primarily alpha-linoleic acid. Furthermore, perilla also contains 0.2% pure essential oil and various hydrocarbons, aldehydes, ketones, and furans.

Perilla also has the effect of reducing smooth muscle spasms in the bronchi, and its essential oil increases blood sugar. Perilla aldehyde inhibits the central nervous system. Perilla leaf infusion has the effect of inhibiting various bacteria such as staphylococcus, dysentery bacilli, and Escherichia coli.

What are the benefits of drinking perilla leaf tea?

What are the benefits of drinking perilla leaf tea?

Effective weight loss

Drinking perilla leaf tea instead of plain water daily is an extremely effective weight loss method because it contains plant-based protein, fiber, and many essential vitamins and minerals that can promote digestion and boost metabolism. In particular, the fiber content in perilla leaves helps build muscle, resulting in a toned and slender physique, similar to the benefits of exercise.

Skin beautification

Perilla leaf extract has been shown to inhibit the synthesis of tyrosinase and melatonin in mice. This is a potential application of perilla for skin brightening. Drinking perilla leaf tea daily provides the body with a large amount of nutrients that help prevent the formation of melanin pigment – ​​the cause of freckles, age spots, and brown spots on the skin. The rich mineral content in this natural ingredient also helps improve skin tone, exfoliate dead skin cells, thereby fading age spots and brightening the skin very quickly.

Helps relieve cold symptoms.

In traditional medicine, perilla is classified as a diaphoretic, meaning it's used to treat the early symptoms of colds. There are many ways to use it, such as cooking perilla with onions in porridge, which stimulates gastric juice secretion and promotes sweating to relieve cold symptoms; or boiling perilla leaves in water and using the steam to treat the whole body… However, the most suitable method for both children and the elderly is to boil perilla leaves in water and drink it while it's still warm.

Support for people with gout.

Perilla leaves contain active compounds that relatively reduce uric acid levels in the blood. This contributes to improving the condition of people suffering from gout. However, patients should still consult their doctor to ensure a balanced use in conjunction with prescribed medication.

Instructions for preparing fresh perilla leaf tea

Step 1: Wash about 200-300g of perilla leaves thoroughly, keeping the stems and leaves intact. Cut them into small pieces 5-7cm long.

Step 2: Pour 2.5 liters of water and the washed perilla leaves into a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 3 minutes before turning off the heat.

Step 3: Strain the liquid for use. You can drink the perilla leaf tea hot or let it cool before drinking it instead of plain water.

You can squeeze 2-3 drops of lemon juice or add a little rock sugar to perilla leaf tea to enhance the flavor and make it easier to drink.

Some things to keep in mind when using fresh perilla leaf tea:

Fresh perilla leaf tea should be consumed within 24 hours to ensure quality and flavor.

Do not boil fresh perilla leaves for more than 15 minutes. This is because the essential oils in the leaves and stems will evaporate, reducing their effectiveness for the user.

People suffering from heatstroke should not drink perilla leaf tea.

Drinking too much perilla leaf tea over a long period of time can cause bloating, indigestion, or affect blood pressure.

Ha An