Maximize the 'fountain of youth' hormone

Want a better mood, sharper memory and more energy? Yes, please! The secret? Lifting your levels of human growth hormone (HGH), or the “fountain of youth” hormone. HGH plays a key role in optimizing metabolism and mental processing. Plus, research suggests elevating HGH boosts fat-burning by nearly 300%. Here's how to do it

- Melissa Gotthardt

Bite into bell peppers

One green bell pepper contains about 96 mg of vitamin C, while a red bell pepper contains 152 mg—more than twice what you'd get from a medium orange. And in a Harvard study, people who got at least 94 mg of the vitamin in their daily diets had higher HGH levels than those who ate lower amounts. Study authors suspect vitamin C activates enzymes that signal the pituitary gland to secrete HGH. Tip: If you're not fond of bell peppers (or don’t want to eat them daily), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, guava and strawberries also provide ample amounts of vitamin C.

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