Basic Introduction to Kaiyang Selenium-Rich Tea
Kaiyang selenium-rich tea has a deep historical background. The South Tribute Tea of Kaiyang is produced in Nanlong Township, Kaiyang County. It was named as a royal tribute during the Qing Dynasty's Qianlong period and gained prominence during the Qianlong and Jiaqing periods, with a history spanning over 200 years. Nanlong Township is located in the southeastern part of Kaiyang County, 18.5 kilometers from the county center. The township covers an area of 125.24 square kilometers and comprises three administrative villages: Wengduo Village, Tankan Village, and Zhongqiao Village, with a total of 131 village groups. The total population is 18,889 people, of which 18,403 are agricultural residents, accounting for 97.4% of the total population. Multiple ethnic groups reside within the territory, including Han, Bouyei, Miao, and Shui.
Nutritional Value
1. Selenium-rich tea helps reduce fat and prevent cardiovascular diseases. The relationship between Tea drinking and weight loss is very close. As early as over two thousand years ago, the book “Shennong's Herbal Classic” mentioned the weight loss effect of tea: “Long-term consumption can calm the mind, invigorate qi… lighten the body and prevent aging.” Modern scientific research and clinical trials have confirmed that drinking tea can lower blood lipid levels and cholesterol, making the body lighter. This is due to the combined effect of phenolic derivatives, aromatic compounds, amino acids, vitamins, and other substances in tea, particularly the synergistic action of tea polyphenols, Caffeine, and vitamin C, which promote fat oxidation, aid digestion, and reduce fat and weight. In addition, tea polyphenols dissolve fat, while vitamin C promotes the excretion of cholesterol. Tea itself contains theaflavin, which enhances vascular resilience and makes blood vessels less prone to rupture.
2. Cancer prevention. The components in Green Tea, such as tea polyphenols and caffeine, work together not only to invigorate the spirit but also to enhance the immune system and have anticancer properties. In recent years, the American Chemical Society has found that tea not only inhibits digestive system cancers but also suppresses skin, lung, and liver cancers. Scientific studies have confirmed that the organic anticancer substances in tea mainly include tea polyphenols, caffeine, vitamin C, and vitamin E. The inorganic anticancer elements in tea primarily consist of selenium, molybdenum, manganese, and germanium. Chinese and Japanese scientists believe that epigallocatechin, a type of tea polyphenol, has the best anticancer effect.
3. Antitoxin and antimicrobial. Using tea as a detoxifying remedy dates back to the time of Shennong (approximately 2737 BC), as described in “Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs, encountering seventy-two poisons in a single day, but was cured by tea,” as recorded in books like “Records of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors” in the “Historical Records,” “Military Training in the Cultivation of Martial Arts” in the “Annals of Huainan,” and “Supplement to the Herbal.” In his authoritative work on tea, “The Classic of Tea,” written over 1200 years ago (780 AD), the tea sage Lu Yu pointed out regarding the effects of tea: “Due to its extremely cold nature, it is most suitable for use as a beverage… When feeling hot, thirsty, stifled, having a headache, eye fatigue, limb fatigue, joint discomfort, drinking four or five sips of tea will show results.”
4. Longevity. The anti-aging effect of selenium-rich tea on the human body is mainly due to several effective chemical components and various vitamins working in concert, especially tea polyphenols, caffeine, vitamin C, aromatic compounds, and lipopolysaccharides, which strengthen myocardial activity and vascular elasticity, inhibit arteriosclerosis, reduce the incidence of hypertension and coronary heart disease, enhance immunity, and thus combat aging, leading to longevity. Medical research has shown that tea polyphenols not only reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood but also enhance the resilience and elasticity of capillaries, lowering blood lipids, which is highly beneficial for preventing hypertension and cardiovascular diseases common in middle-aged and elderly individuals. Selenium-rich tea contains selenium, and it is organic selenium, which is more easily absorbed by the human body than selenium in grains and oils. Dr. Richard Passwater believes that combining selenium with vitamin C and vitamin E can extend life. Selenium-rich tea is rich in these life-enhancing elements. The selenium content in food is greatly influenced by geography, and differences in soil selenium content cause significant variations in the selenium content of food across different regions. Soil with less than 0.6 mg/kg of selenium is considered selenium-deficient. About 72% of China's land is selenium-poor or deficient. Long-term intake of severely selenium-deficient food inevitably leads to selenium deficiency diseases.
Product Features
1. Rich in beneficial components and good natural quality. According to tests conducted by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences' Tea Research Institute, it contains 3.08% amino acids; at its highest, 5.69%; 30.35% tea polyphenols; and excellent natural quality, making it a high-quality raw material suitable for making green tea.
2. Free from pesticide contamination and meets hygiene standards. Ziyang County boasts beautiful mountains and clear waters, and according to tests by the Tea Processing Research Institute of the Ministry of Commerce, it fully complies with the hygiene standards issued by the General Administration of National Standards and the Ministry of Health, making it a natural green food and beverage.
3. Rich in selenium. On average, it contains 0.6530 mg/kg of selenium, with the highest value reaching 3.853 mg/kg, which is 5.5 times higher than the average selenium content of 0.15 mg/kg in non-selenium-rich tea regions in China, and it has strong nutritional and Health benefits.
4. Selenium-rich tea is a health supplement with broad prospects, particularly beneficial for replenishing selenium in the human body, and has certain effects in enhancing vitality, combating aging, preventing cancer, and protecting against radiation.
History and Folk Customs
Kaiyang County is located in the central Guizhou region, with a long history, abundant resources, and beautiful landscapes. It is one of the first 20 counties approved by Guizhou Province for economic development, ranking ninth in 2003. The phosphorus mines in Kaiyang are renowned nationwide, earning it the title of “China's Phosphorus Capital”; the soil is rich in selenium, making it known as “China's Selenium-Rich Agricultural Products Hometown”; its karst landforms are typical, showcasing the essence of Guizhou's true mountains and waters, giving it the reputation of “China's Karst Ecological Museum”; the climate is temperate, vegetation is lush, and forest coverage reaches 41.6%, earning it the nickname of “Natural Oxygen Bar.” Kaiyang is surrounded by rivers and waterways on three sides, with geographical advantages and convenient transportation. It is 86 kilometers from the provincial capital Guiyang and 118 kilometers from the historic city of Zunyi, situated in the economic connection zone between Guiyang and Zunyi. The railway branch line of Sichuan and Guizhou runs directly through the county, and the provincial highway Jiutong passes through the city, while the Guiyang-Kaiyang expressway runs longitudinally through the eastern tourism and sightseeing area. The three major industries in Kaiyang are phosphorus and phosphorus-related industries, karst eco-tourism, and selenium-rich agriculture and agricultural product processing. Due to the unique blessings of nature and the affection of the mountains and waters, it is recognized as the “Fu” land of central Guizhou. Kaiyang produces selenium-rich rice, selenium-rich green tea, selenium-rich potato chips, selenium-rich eggs, and other original ecological green foods. Among them, selenium-rich tea was once a royal tribute.