Costa Rica Attracts Foreign Retirees Notwithstanding Short Supply of Residential Options

Reprint from La Nacion, May 21, 2013: Translated and edited to English

Editors Note: Naturewalk plans in later stages for a health care retirement model with integrated health and wellness, nutrition, regular and elective medical procedures and a state of the art diagnostic facility. Naturewalk’s vision is to have people contribute and be empowered by the beauty and activity base of Naturewalk. Flexible employment, craft manufacture and other engaging activities will be offered at Naturewalk.

When Andy and Fran Browne lost their jobs in 2009, they decided to embark on a new life plan: leave the US and retire to Costa Rica.

There are thousands of US retirees like Andy and Fran who, hit by rises in the cost of living, seek retirement alternatives that are more economical and provide better conditions than they can find at home.

Costa Rica offers these options. In actual fact it is placed at number five in the annual ranking of the best retirement destinations in the world published by the magazine International Living, which covers factors like cost of living, health services, climate and special benefits amongst others.

It also occupies the same place in the list published by the website, Top Retirements, ahead of countries like New Zealand.

“The quality of life in Costa Rica with its roots in security, political and economic stability, access to first rate health services, natural beauty, a benign climate and the warmth of its people, makes Costa Rica a very competitive destination for retirees”, comments Gabriela Llobet, director general of CINDE, Costa Rica’s inward investment agency.

And, in addition to those qualities. Massimo Manzi, director of the Council for the International Promotion of Medicine in Costa Rica (Promed), added that medical tourism has boosted the interest of foreigners in the country. “Medical tourism creates an opportunity for patients to get to know the county and consider the option of retiring here”. 

He went on to mention that the lower cost of living (on average 22% less than in the US) and more affordable health care are two more attractive benefits.

According to the 2011 census, 2 262 retirees from the US live in Costa Rica. A further 261 Canadians and 284 Spaniards live here along with various other nationalities.

Short supply. In spite of the potential which the country has to attract foreign retirees, the supply of residential options focusing on the needs of this group is still rudimentary.

“When a foreign retiree asks: ’What US style communities do you have to offer?’, the answer is none”, explained Lou Aguilera, president of the Pacific Plaza project.

Althoug the idea of creating a foreign retireee “cluster” did get government support in 2010, the initiative did not prosper and it is the private sector which has had to take up the project.

“The first step is to create a critical mass of projects for retirees and then move on to other promotional activities,” observed Massimo Manzi.

While every retiree has specific preferences, the investors are targeting the retired professionals, middle and upper class, from the US (south, south east and east), Canada and Spain.

To satisfy this demand, the projects starting to be developed here in the country are of an integrated nature following the concept of “supplying progressive health care models for growing old in the same community”.

“People arrive at an active retirement age and progress through different models of care and support depending on their health,” explained Manzi.

So projects for living are combined with medical services at an international level.

These projects need to be located within easy reach of international airports, and should offer recreational facilities like golf courses, swimming pools or gyms and, obviously, internet services.

These special communities normally charge an entry fee and a monthly membership.

“People pay  and also pay a monthly rate according to the type of medical services that they require”, explained Jamie McWilliam, director general of the Verdeza project being built in Escazú.
At this point in time there are three projects of this type being constructed and two in the planning stage.

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Why Pawpaw Leaves Juice Cures Dengue Fever

RESEARCHERS looking into how juice of pawpaw leaves cures dengue fever, have come up with findings that it not only cures, but improves the health of a patient by increasing the body’s blood platelet count.

In this new study to understand the effects of pawpaw leaf juice as a possible herbal medicine to cure dengue fever, the researchers said the leaves of papaya fruit were high in complex vitamins that might help bone marrow to rapidly increase blood platelet production. They found that the pawpaw leaves juice caused the blood platelet count to increase. 

The increase in number of platelets varied from one patient to the other that ranged from 8000 to 11000. Writing in the Medical Aromatic Plants journal, “As per the medical report of patients, the number of platelets had increased within the prescribed time (24 hours) of drinking leaf juice of papaya in all five patients of dengue.”

The dengue patients had reiterated that there was a significant improvement in their health within 24 hours of taking papaya leaf juice.

A total of five such patients with dengue fever were interviewed for understanding the effects of papaya leaf juice on the ailment. Their blood test reports on the platelets counts were also examined before and after consuming papaya leaf juice.

Dengue fever is one of the life threatening diseases caused by dengue virus (Flavivirus) that is borne and transmitted by mosquitoes. It is found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas.


Also known as break-bone fever, it causes extreme body pain, especially in the joints of bones. Though some preventive measures have been suggested to cure dengue, so far there is no effective medicine and vaccine approved for the dengue virus.

World Health Organisation estimated that every year, 50 million people across the world are infected by dengue and about 2.5 billion people are at risk from this dreadful disease, which spreads over about 100 countries.

Dengue fever is a severe, flu-like illness that affects infants, young children and adults, but seldom causes death. Its symptoms include severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands or rash.

The dengue virus’ main effect is on platelet production. Normally, a platelet in our body lasts for about five to 10 days and the body replenishes them when required. This virus destroys the body’s capacity to produce new platelets (during the period the virus is effective).

The platelet count for a normal person varies from 150,000 to 250,000 per micro litre of blood. On becoming infected, a patient’s platelet count starts falling. A platelet count below 100,000 per microlitre is alarming – immediate medical attention is required. 

A platelet count below 50,000 can be fatal. A fall in the platelet count prevents formation of clots and this leads to haemorrhaging, which results in both internal and external bleeding. Once such bleeding starts, the situation is almost irreversible.

Traditionally, there is a belief that juice of papaya leaves is useful for the treatment of dengue fever. As per this belief, the people collect fresh leaves of papaya and extract their juice by crushing and squeezing.


Only the leafy part is collected not the sap and stalk. The extracted juice is filtered through a clean cotton cloth or filter to remove the uncrushed hard fibres or pieces of leaves. One leaf of papaya gives about one tablespoon of juice, which is quite bitter in taste.

Two tablespoons of papaya leaf juice are given to dengue patients three times per day in a six-hours interval. 

The leaf is not boiled or cooked, as it is believed that rinsing with hot water or boiling makes the leaf lose its strength.

Besides juice of papaya leaf, there are reports indicating that the extract of some other plant, such as Vitex negundo, Azadirachta indica (neem) and Artemisia annua contains properties that work against the viruses.

Other Benefits

Recent researches show that pawpaw leaves are also beneficial in the treatment of kidney stones, hypertension, malaria, lack of breast milk, malnutrition, rheumatism, acne, abdominal pain during menstruation and dysentery.

A recent research in the United States, for instance, has given scientific support to a chemical compound in pawpaw tree which is reported to be a million times stronger than the strongest anti-cancer drug.

In addition, papain, the powerful enzyme in pawpaw helps to ease stomach ailments and indigestion. Pawpaw has been effective in easing heartburn and is also given to stimulate the appetite. In many areas of the world, pawpaw is used as a worm expeller.

For more information about living, retiring and/or investing in Costa Rica contact Naturewalk Brands by calling our toll free number (in Canada and U.S.A): 1-866-990-1123.