When veganism turns deadly: 39-year-old influencer who swore by a ‘raw’ diet, dies from starvation

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Zhanna Samsonova has reportedly died of self-imposed starvation, after years of living on a ‘raw’ diet consisting mostly of an exotic Malaysian fruit. The 39-year-old Russian influencer, who is known as Zhanna D’Art to her legion of fans on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, used to often post on healthy living and sticking to ‘raw’/uncooked meals. However, this ultimately led to her untimely death.

During a visit to Sri Lanka, the influencer experienced a massive health scare. An anonymous source told Newsflash, that she looked emaciated and complained of swollen legs. “They sent her home to seek treatment.

However, she ran away again. When I saw her in Phuket, I was horrified,” told the source to the news portal. The anonymous friend also revealed that despite several requests to seek medical aid, the influencer delayed a trip to the doctor, until it was too late.

“I lived one floor above her and every day I feared finding her lifeless body in the morning. I convinced her to seek treatment, but she didn’t make it,” disclosed the source. In an interview with the New York Post, Samsonova’s mother claimed that her daughter succumbed to a “cholera-like infection.” A firm advocate of healthy, vegan living, Samsonova eschewed cooked food and swore by an uncooked vegetarian diet.

She claimed she subsisted on a diet comprising fruits, sunflower seeds, fruit smoothies, and juices. Another source close to the late influencer told NYP that Samsonova lived off a diet of jackfruits and durian, a spiked, mace-like fruit. Although Samsonova believed that she was light years ahead of her peers, thanks to avoiding all types of junk food and sticky to raw fruits, her friends saw her health go downhill day by day.