Perilla Seeds: Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Perilla seeds are the small round seeds of Perilla frutescens, a plant in the mint family (Lamiaceae). In Korea the seeds are called deulkkae and in Japan egoma. They are toasted and ground as a seasoning, or pressed into a nutty oil that is very rich in the plant omega-3 fat ALA. Do not confuse the seed with the leaf: the leaves are eaten as a vegetable or garnish (kkaennip in Korea, shiso in Japan), and this page is only about the seed and, briefly, its oil. [1][8] It keeps the food apart from supplements and from hype. There is no USDA entry for perilla seeds, so the numbers come from a Korean food composition table and research papers.

Read this first

• Seed allergy is real. In a 2022 school survey of about 12,500 Korean children, perilla seed allergy affected about 0.11% and perilla-seed anaphylaxis about 0.02%,, an allergen the authors describe as uniquely seen in that survey. [4] Case reports describe severe reactions in young children. [7][5] For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911 (or your local emergency number).
• Roasting perilla seeds has caused occupational asthma in a worker exposed to the smoke. [6]
• Perilla seed oil is one of the richest plant sources of ALA, about 54 to 64% of its fatty acids. [1] The oil, not the seed, is what most health studies tested.
• Honest summary: the seed is a food rich in fat, fiber and several minerals. Reported health benefits rest mostly on lab and animal studies plus a few small human trials of the oil. [1]

What is in it (research values, not USDA)

USDA FoodData Central has no entry for perilla seeds. The values below are for dry perilla seed from the Korean Food Composition Table (Rural Development Administration, 2011), as reproduced in a 2023 Frontiers in Nutrition article. [2] The article's table also lists roasted seed. We did not open the Korean table itself, and the article's layout made the dry and roasted columns hard to tell apart, so check these numbers before relying on them. Per-serving values are our calculation for 1 ounce (28 g, the USDA/MyPlate unit), using a factor of 0.2835.

% Daily Value uses the FDA 2016 Daily Values; values vary with variety, growing place, roasting and storage. The ALA row is our estimate: it multiplies the fat figure by the percentage of ALA reported for the oil, and it assumes all the fat is seed oil. We did not read a direct measurement of ALA per 100 g of whole seed. The NIH Adequate Intake for ALA is 1.6 g a day for men and 1.1 g for women (US Institute of Medicine, 2002, as given by the Linus Pauling Institute). [3] FDA sets no Daily Value for ALA.

On fats: the oil is reported as 35 to 45% of the seed, and about 54 to 64% of the oil is ALA, with linoleic acid (omega-6) about 13 to 14%. [1] The article from Frontiers gives ALA at 53 to 62% and linoleic acid 10 to 13%. [2] The same table lists protein at about 23 g per 100 g, and a review gives 20 to 30%. [1][2] Tocopherols are reported at roughly 662 to 731 mg per kg of oil as gamma-tocopherol and only 5 to 20 mg per kg as alpha-tocopherol. [1] The seed table lists rosmarinic acid at 368 mg and luteolin at about 10 mg per 100 g of dry seed. [2] These plant compounds come from lab analysis. We did not read a human trial showing they act in the body when the seed is eaten.

What research says

Eaten as food vs taken as oil, extract or supplement. The human studies in the table used perilla oil, often in capsules or as a measured spoonful, not seeds sprinkled on food. [1] A small trial of oil does not tell us what toasted seeds in a meal do. We did not find a trial of the seeds themselves. Observational studies, if any, show association, not proof; we did not read one on perilla seeds.

How much is a normal serving

We did not find an official portion for perilla seeds. We use 1 ounce (28 g), the USDA/MyPlate unit for nuts and seeds, so the numbers can be compared with other pages on this site. This is information, not a prescription. In Korean cooking the toasted ground seed is a seasoning added to soups, vegetables, noodles and kimchi, and the oil is a nutty cooking oil and condiment, so everyday amounts are usually small. [8] One ounce is about 150 kcal by our calculation from the Korean table, so the seed is energy dense. [2] We found no meta-analysis on perilla seeds and body weight, so we make no weight claim.

For comparison, the toasted seed is a condiment in the same way as sesame seeds. The Korean table lists both dry and roasted seed with similar protein and fat, and some minerals read higher in the roasted column. We did not find a source explaining why, so we make no claim about roasting. [2]

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Seed allergy. A 2022 Korean school survey (about 12,500 children) found perilla seed allergy in about 0.11% and anaphylaxis from it in about 0.02%, and the authors describe perilla seed as an allergen seen uniquely in that setting. [4] A 2026 study says perilla seed is a leading cause of seed-induced anaphylaxis in Korean children, and found the main allergens in the seed's oil bodies, a protein called oleosin. [5] A 2006 report describes two cases of anaphylaxis caused by perilla seed (we read the citation record only). [7] A 2025 review covers tree nut and seed allergies in general. [9] We did not find how common perilla allergy is outside Korea and Japan. If you have a seed or nut allergy, ask your allergist before trying perilla. See nut and seed allergy basics and food allergy basics and emergency signs. For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911.
• Cross-reactivity with sesame or other seeds. Proper evidence not found in the sources we read.
• Roasting smoke. A Korean case report describes occupational asthma in a man who roasted grains for 10 years and became short of breath only when roasting perilla seeds. A test with smoke from roasting perilla produced an asthma response. [6] This is one case.
• Handling the plant. An encyclopedia entry says handling perilla leaves or oil may cause contact dermatitis and that eating large amounts of the seeds has caused anaphylaxis. [8] We treat this as a pointer, not as strong evidence.
• Seed versus leaf. Perilla leaf (shiso, kkaennip) is a different part of the plant, used as a vegetable. This page does not cover leaf extracts or capsules. The plant's aroma compound perilla ketone is toxic to cattle and horses that graze it; this is a livestock problem and not a finding about seeds eaten by people. [8]
• Medicines. Proper evidence not found in the sources we read for perilla seeds. For comparison only: the Linus Pauling Institute says high doses of flaxseed oil may inhibit platelet aggregation, so people on blood thinners should use caution; we did not read a source that tested this for perilla. [3] See foods and medicine interactions.
• Kidney disease. One ounce has about 165 mg potassium and 203 mg phosphorus by our calculation. [2] We did not read a kidney-diet source naming perilla seeds, so ask your kidney team. See foods, kidney disease, potassium and oxalates.
• Pregnancy and children. Proper evidence not found in the sources we read. Perilla seed allergy has been studied mainly in Korean children. [4][5] See foods for babies and toddlers.

Choosing, storing and food safety

• The oil is high in ALA, which oxidizes easily. A related review of plant omega-3 oils on this site discusses spoilage; see chia, hemp, perilla and walnut oils.
• We did not read a perilla-specific source on storage, mold or aflatoxin. General advice is on storing nuts and seeds: rancidity, mold and aflatoxin.
• Check the label. "Perilla" can mean the seed, the oil, leaf products or mixed seasonings, and names for the varieties differ between countries. [8]

Related pages

• Chia, hemp, perilla and walnut oils: plant omega-3 sources
• Plant sources of omega-3: flax, chia, walnuts and hemp compared
• Sesame seeds
• Nut and seed allergy basics
• Food allergy basics and emergency signs
• Raw, roasted, soaked and sprouted nuts and seeds