Plants that boost immunity

Cat's Claw bark and Echinacea Purpurea root

Sometimes my sixth sense tells me things to do that I just follow. And it works. 
Five years ago inside a herbal pharmacy in Sao Paulo (Brazil), I came across those two plants when looking for immune system boosters and to help someone I knew with a serious disease that was weakening his immune system. 
I decided to buy both and read more to better use them. 
Some articles and studies showed that Echinacea was not as strong as Cat's claw, but when combined it could help to stimulate my immune system and fight bacterias more efficiently.
When I start to feel that my body is getting weak, when it's cold, or when there's people sick around , I make the tea combining the two plants and I feel it helps a lot. 
Yes, there are pills, but I prefer to do as raw and whole as possible, always trying to avoid processes on everything I take.

Let's learn a little bit more:

- Cat's claw, or Uncaria Tomentosa ia a large woody plant found in the Amazon rainforest that contains different alkaloides, glucosides, triterpene, flavonoides and tannines that work as anti-viral and anti-bacterial on the bodies immune system. Native to Peru, Uncaria Tomentosa has also shown to benefit asthma and bronchitis sufferers.
It has been used by the indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest for at least 2,000 years, and in Peru and Europe since the early 1990s as an adjunctive treatment for cancer and AIDS as well as for other diseases that target the immune system.
It's main actions (in order) are: immune stimulant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic (cellular protector), anticancerous, antiulcerous.
Adding lemon juice or vinegar to the decoction when boiling will help extract more alkaloids and fewer tannins from the bark.
Some studies on cat's claw showed that it might decrease fertility, so I'd advice whoever is seeking to get pregnant to avoid it. 

- Echinacea Purpurea are found growing in moist to dry prairie and wood areas of eastern and central of North America. The complex sugars (Polysaccharides and Echinaceoside) of the herb are its immune stimulants known for fighting infection by making our own immune cells more efficient at attacking bacteria, instead of attacking directly the bacteria as common antibiotics do.
Two proven effects of echinacea are in stimulating phagocytosis (the consumption of invading organisms by white blood cells and lymphocytes) and inhibiting an enzyme (hyaluronidase) secreted by bacteria to help them gain access to healthy cells. 
With long-term use, echinacea appears to lose effectiveness.
 
I prepare my tea as I cook mostly of my food. First I heat just the water, and when boiling I put the plants and turn off the heat, allowing it to seat until hot enough to drink. Sometimes I also add lime, ginger, turmeric and raw honey.

Sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
http://www.herbs.org
http://www.rain-tree.com

---