Effects of habitual perilla (shiso) tea drinking on the incidence of diabetes mellitus in spontaneously diabetic Trii (SDT)rats.

The anti-diabetic effect of perilla (shiso) tea was evaluated in vivo. When shiso tea was given to model rats that spontaneously developed diabetes mellitus (DM), the development of DM was decelerated. In oral glucose tolerance tests, the disappearance of blood glucose in rats administered shiso tea was reinforced. These results suggest that habitual drinking of shiso tea is effective in preventing the onset of diabetes.