Vegan influencer, Zhanna Samsonova has reportedly “died of starvation” after feeding exclusively off a diet of exotic fruit in Malaysia, according to her friends and family.
Gatekeepers News reports that the 39-year-old Russian reportedly died July 21 after finally seeking medical treatment during a tour in Southeast Asia, according to local media outlet reports.
Samsonova’s mother attributed her daughter’s passing to “cholera-like infection.” However, her official cause of death has not been declared.
Samsonova’s family is awaiting a medical report and a death certificate that will determine her official cause of death.
The influencer said her raw foods regimen was reportedly inspired by seeing “peers” who looked a lot older than their ages, which she attributed to their “junk food” diets.
“I see my body and mind transform every day,” Samsonova had gushed while describing her restrictive eating regimen. “I love my new me, and never move on to the habits that I used to use.”
She used social media to spread her raw diet doctrine, describing: “I eat simple food, although I have a lot of experience as a raw food chef. I love creating my own recipes and inspiring people to eat healthier.”
Unfortunately, her friends believe her so-called healthy food choices were to blame for her death.
A friend claimed that for the last seven years, Samsonova had only eaten the giant, sweet jackfruit and durian, a spiky, mace-like fruit known for its custardy meat and noxious odor.
“Zhanna’s idle stagnation was causing her to melt before our eyes, but she believed everything was fine,” theorized another.
“Only her eyes, merry eyes, and gorgeous hair compensated for the dreadful sight of a body tortured by idiocy. Forgive me if it sounds harsh.”
A few months ago, in Sri Lanka, she already looked exhausted, with swollen legs oozing lymph,” one unidentified friend told Newsflash. “They sent her home to seek treatment. However, she ran away again. When I saw her in Phuket, I was horrified.”
Her friend added, “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.”
Despite the potential downsides to Samsonova’s diet, many of her devoted followers refused to believe her eating choices led to her death, instead claiming that she was killed by chemicals in the fruit she ate.
While a raw foods diet can have multiple health benefits — including weight loss, improved heart health and a lower risk of diabetes — there are downsides to this regimen, especially when not well planned, according to Healthline.
Samsonova wouldn’t be the first to starve to death from a raw foods diet. Last year, vegan Florida mother Sheila O’Leary, 38, was sentenced to life in prison after starving her 18-month-old son to death by feeding him only small amounts of fruits and vegetables.
