Russian Influencer Who Lived on Raw Vegan Diet Dies of Starvation

The news of a 39 year old Russian vegan influencer who lost her life due to starvation has shocked online viewers. 

Zhanna Samsonova has been on a raw vegan diet which became more and more extreme as the years passed. 

She often promoted her food on her Insta page Zhanna D'Art and encouraged her followers to opt for a raw vegan diet. online

She finally took medical treatment when she was on a tour in Southeast asia. Her friends saw that she looked exhausted and her legs were swollen. They advised her to seek medical help however she neglected her health and continued to travel. A friend told the New York Post that she had “swollen legs oozing lymph.” They sent her home to seek treatment however she ran away again. 

Zhanna’s mother said that she died of “cholera-like infection.” Her mother believes that exhaustion and the stress placed on her body due to the raw vegan diet was the cause of her daughter’s death. The official cause of her death is yet to be confirmed. 

The influencer was on a raw vegan diet for the past ten years. The diet included a large jackfruit and durian. She maintained an Insta page which had a large fan following. Friends and family noticed that Zhanna was gradually getting emaciated through her posts. 

The Russian influencer believed that her all-vegan diet made her look younger than her peers and it had transformed her body. In one of her posts she claims that she didn’t drink water and instead chose fruit and vegetable juices. 

Ritika Samaddar, Regional Head, Nutrition And Dietetics, Max Super Speciality Hospital,said, “Purely going by what she posted, it’s a miracle that she survived that long. Considering that she was living only on raw jackfruit, she was clearly suffering from a severe deficiency of protein, iron, calcium and vitamin B12.”

“A normal vegan diet, which talks about plant-based foods, encourages you to take a lot of lentils, beans, nuts and seeds as well as vegetables like broccoli, mushrooms to meet your protein needs. Also supplements are suggested to prevent any micronutrient deficiencies. If one wants to follow a vegan diet, I would suggest consulting a qualified nutritionist who can plan it to avoid deficiencies.”

It is evident that Zhanna didn’t research her diet well. Her story is a great reminder that we need to research well and be cautious before we follow any food fads blindly.