Vegan raw food blogger reportedly dies of ‘starvation and exhaustion’

Zhanna Samsonova was due to return home to Russia on the day she died

A vegan raw food influencer has reportedly died from starvation and exhaustion. Zhanna Samsonova, originally from Russia, had been living in South-East Asia and eating an exclusively raw vegan diet consisting of “fruits, sunflower seed sprouts, fruit smoothies and juices” for the past five years. The Mail reported that her friends had become concerned about her restrictive eating habits in recent months. In her second to last Instagram post, at the start of June, Zhanna wrote about it being “fruits season” in Thailand, where she was most recently based in Phuket.

“This is the most awaited time! Time to gain weight! The amazing variety of Thai fruits A typical Thai tradition meal includes eating seasonal fruits and vegetables, which are well-known for being delicious and fresh. You will never be bored with plenty of choices all year round.”

The 40-year-old was said to have passed away on July 21. While an official cause of death for the influencer, known as Zhanna D’Art online, has not been revealed, reports suggest she had a “cholera-like infection” which was exacerbated by “exhaustion of the body by a vegan diet” her mother, Vera Samsonova, told Russian newspaper Vechernyaya Kazan. Zhanna’s family are now said to be trying to get her body back to Russia. She was due to return to Kazan on the day she died, Samsonova told local news outlets. Speaking with Newsflash, an anonymous friend of Zhanna claimed they saw her a few months ago in Sri Lanka “looking exhausted”.

“They sent her home to seek treatment. However, she ran away again. When I saw her in Phuket, I was horrified,” they said.

A friend of Zhanna claimed that for the past seven years she would only eat durian, a spiky fruit known for its pungent smell, Time News reported. Her Instagram feed, however, shows her preparing and eating an assortment of fruit, salad, burgers and cakes.

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