Whenever you got a cold or the flu, you may have heard your mom (and doctor) warn you to drink plenty of fluids and get extra vitamin C. That's because this particular vitamin is able to help boost your immune system.

It's preferable that instead of waiting until you're already sick, you bulk up on vitamin C beforehand – to stave off any foreign invaders ahead of time. You can find vitamin C naturally in oranges and other citrus fruit.

Aside from boosting your body's natural defense system, taking regular doses of vitamin C helps your body heal from minor cuts and wounds. Your tissues benefit from the intake of vitamin C as well, as do your teeth and gums.

This unique vitamin actually contributes to your absorption of other vitamins within your body, so a deficiency in vitamin C can prohibit other nutrients from helping your health. Each organ needs certain vitamins to stay healthy and functioning properly. Vitamin C helps those other nutrients get carried out to the organs and tissues that need them most.

Your muscles need vitamin C to stay strong and flexible, which can help lessen some of the pain you may suffer from now - or in the future. It helps your joint muscles retain their resiliency so that they can bend properly with a good amount of pressure placed on them.

Vitamin C is also known to be an antioxidant, which helps eliminate free radicals within your body. This means that it can help prevent you from developing some types of cancer.

Because of it's ability to neutralize the toxic byproducts, vitamin C is now known to help prevent heart disease.

It promotes healthy blood flow, which can help fight against atherosclerosis. The healthier your heart is, the longer you may live! Vitamin C can be purchased in pill form that you can get from your local grocery store or pharmacy.

You can also find it in oranges, strawberries and cantaloupe. In vegetables, you can find it in tomatoes, broccoli and cabbage. If you're not into fruits and vegetables, then it's recommended that you drink a glass of orange juice every day. Get your daily dose of vitamin C and give your body the boost it needs to stay healthy!