Vegan Influencer Dies Of Suspected Starvation At 39 Years Old
Durian and jackfruit are popular fruits commonly consumed in Singapore and Malaysia, but one wouldn’t really consider them a meal on their own.
Well, Russian vegan raw food influencer Zhanna Samsonova apparently did, and that purportedly led to her untimely demise.
Source: @rawveganfoodchef on Instagram
Citing Russian news outlet RTVI, the New York Post reported that the 39-year-old passed away on 21 July in Malaysia.
She had purportedly “died of starvation” after living exclusively on a raw vegan diet for years.
One of her friends even claimed that Ms Samsonova had eaten nothing but durian and jackfruit, although this claim has yet to be substantiated.
Russian vegan influencer dies after eating only raw foods for years
According to Yahoo News Australia, Ms Samsonova, who was also known as Zhanna D’Art, had stuck to a vegan diet for over a decade.
However, in the last four years, she only ate fruits, sunflower seeds, and bean sprouts. The Daily Mail added that she drank fruit and vegetable juices in place of water for more than six years.
Source: @rawveganfoodchef on Instagram
One friend even alleged that Ms Samsonova exclusively consumed durian and jackfruit for the past seven years.
In a post from 14 Jan, she called durian “the best-tasting food in the world”.
She also stated, “If nutrition and money are not an issue, I would like to have durian as my meal for the rest of my life.”
Source: @rawveganfoodchef on Instagram
However, numerous posts also show her eating other fruits like strawberries and soursop, so it might be wise to take the friend’s claim with a pinch of salt.
Source: @rawveganfoodchef on Instagram
Had ‘swollen legs’ a few months ago
Ms Samsonova had apparently been showing signs of failing health for a while.
Another friend recalled seeing her appearing “exhausted, with swollen legs oozing lymph” in Sri Lanka a few months ago.
While she was sent home to receive treatment, she ran away.
Speaking to the Russian newspaper Vechernyaya Kazan, Ms Samsonova’s mother shared that the influencer may have succumbed to a cholera-like infection that was made worse by her unusual diet.
At the moment, however, her official cause of death has yet to be disclosed.
As tragic as Ms Samsonova’s passing is, perhaps this can serve as a warning to the rest of us to maintain a balanced diet and not resort to anything extreme, no matter how ‘healthy’ it may appear.
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Featured image adapted from @rawveganfoodchef on Instagram and Instagram.
