Vegan Influencer Zhanna Samsonova Reportedly Dies Of Starvation

A 39-year-old vegan influencer, Zhanna Samsonova, died allegedly of starvation after years of relying only on a raw vegan diet. The New York Post reported that the Russian national promoted raw food on her social media accounts.

According to local media reports, the influencer, who went by the username Zhanna DArt, reportedly died on July 21 after receiving medical treatment during a tour in Southeast Asia.

As per Samsonova’s Instagram post, she has been following an all-raw vegan diet for at least a decade.

Raw Vegan Food Influencer Dies

One of Samsonova’s friends told Newsflash that she was looking exhausted with swollen legs and oozing lymph a few months ago in Sri Lanka. She added that they had sent her home to seek medical help. However, she had run away again. The friend claimed to have been horrified when she saw her again in Phuket.

The friend who lived one floor above her shared that every day she had the fear of finding Samsonova's lifeless body the next morning. Despite her friend’s persistent effort to convince her to seek treatment, Samsonova didn’t make it.

Samsonova’s mother claimed that her daughter died of a "cholera-like infection." The official cause of death is yet to be revealed. Her mother had told Vechernyaya Kazan that she believed her daughter had succumbed to exhaustion and stress in her body due to an all-vegan diet.

According to a New York Post, Samsonova’s close friend said for the past seven years she had only been eating the giant, sweet jackfruit and durian, a spiky, mace-like fruit known for its custardy meat and noxious odour.

On her Instagram handle, Samsonova said that she sees her body and mind transform every day. Describing her restrictive vegan dietary regime, she claimed that she loved her new self and never moved on from the habits that she used to use.

Samsonova extensively used her Instagram account to advocate for a raw diet regime and promote an all-raw vegan diet.

Suggested Reading: Here's Why A Raw Vegan Diet May Be A Risk To Your Health