Description of the plant, calorie content and vitamin and mineral complex in the composition. The benefits and harms of perilla for the human body. Culinary uses, recipes for food and drinks.
Perilla is a herbaceous plant of the Yasnotkov family, the leaves of which are an ingredient in the dishes of the national cuisines of the countries of East Asia. The height of the stem is up to 1 m, the lower leaves are wide, the upper ones are ovoid, oblong. The color depends on the species: it can be green, blue-violet, reddish, variegated. Axillary flowers form panicle inflorescences. Coarse-skinned nuts are used to make butter. For culinary use, perilla leaves are called shiso in Japan, tylkke in China, kkennip in Korea, shiso in Vietnam, and purple basil in Europe.
Perilla composition and calorie content
In the photo there is a perilla
When calculating the energy value of the daily menu, the calorie content of the plant is not taken into account, since it is quite low.
The calorie content of perilla is 37 calories per 100 g, of which:
- Proteins - 3, 9 g;
- Fat - 0.1 g;
- Carbohydrates - 0.7 mg.
Vitamins in Perilla: retinol, ascorbic acid, niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, folic and pantothenic acid, biotin. But most of all carotene - 8, 7-8, 8 mg (for comparison: in carrots, which is considered the "champion" for this substance, only 8, 2 mg).
Minerals are represented by potassium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, magnesium, zinc, manganese, iodine, molybdenum, chromium and selenium. Perilla also contains phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, glycosides, flavonoids, and essential oils.
Useful properties of perilla
The plant is widely used in folk medicine. When making medicines, it is recommended to collect the leaves that are on the middle part of the stem. But even the upper ones, the young ones, which are added to various dishes, are not much inferior in terms of healing properties.
Perilla benefits:
- Improves vision and prevents optic nerve degeneration.
- Reduces the rate of development of age-related degenerative-dystrophic processes - osteochondrosis and arthrosis, reduces the frequency of arthritis.
- Increases vascular tone, with regular introduction into the diet, the likelihood of ischemic diseases decreases.
- Stimulates the dissolution of harmful cholesterol accumulating in the lumen of blood vessels.
- Stops the development of iron deficiency anemia.
- It has immunostimulating and anti-inflammatory properties.
- It has a mild analgesic effect, especially in inflammatory processes of the oral cavity and larynx.
- It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Infusions and decoctions have mucolytic and expectorant effects. In addition, their use lowers the temperature.
When used as food, perilla stimulates bile secretion and the production of digestive enzymes, accelerates the absorption of fats and vegetable proteins.
As already mentioned, perilla seeds are harvested to make oil. The oil is used in the treatment of dermatological diseases, including infectious etiology, to prevent hypertensive crises.
Extracts from the leaves and perilla oil are added to medicinal cosmetics. Formulations with these ingredients relieve itching, inflammation and irritation, and suppress the development of acne. On their basis, masks, creams and lotions for skin care and therapeutic shampoos are made.
The antiallergic properties of perilla extract have been confirmed by official research carried out in China in the middle of the 20th century and continuing to this day. It has been experimentally proven that taking hay fever suppresses the increased production of histamine and suppresses the characteristic symptoms of the condition - irritation of the upper respiratory tract and lacrimation.
