A social media influencer known for her raw vegan content has died due in part to starvation, according to multiple reports.
Citing an interview her mother had with Russian newspaper Vechernyaya Kazan, Sky News said that 39-year-old Zhanna Samsonova (known as Zhanna D’Art online) died of a “cholera-like” infection July 21 in Malaysia. Her mother said exhaustion caused by her raw vegan diet contributed to Samsonova’s death.
So far, no official cause of death has been reported, said the outlet.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cholera is “an acute diarrheal illness,” caused by a bacterial infection. People often develop this infection when they swallow contaminated food or water.
Samsonova’s Instagram page has nearly 13,000 followers. On it, the Russian national describes herself as a raw plant-based chef, recipes developer and food stylist based in Phuket, Thailand. In a post from last September, she said that she had been adhering to a “a fully fruit-based-low-fat diet known as the 80/10/10 diet,” for five years.
“I have not been sick during all that time,” she said. “My mood is better, my mind clearer, I have more energy, easier to sleep, easier to wake up, I feel more stable emotionally.”
However, friends and family told the media a different story.
“A few months ago, in Sri Lanka, she already looked exhausted, with swollen legs oozing lymph,” one unnamed friend told Newsflash, per the Sky News report. That friend said that Samsonova was “sent home” to receive treatment but that she “ran away” and that the next time they saw her they were “horrified.”
This report did not detail what Samsonova was to be treated for.
Another report in the New York Post cited a friend who claimed Samsonova “had only eaten the giant, sweet jackfruit and durian, a spiky, mace-like fruit known for its custardy meat and noxious odor,” for seven years.
Samsonova’s last two posts on Instagram were about durian season.
“And finally it’s a Fruits Seasons in Thailand! This is the most awaited time! Time to gain weight!” she posted around six weeks before her death.
“You don’t need to be a doctor to understand where this will lead,” said one friend quoted by the Post.
“Zhanna’s idle stagnation was causing her to melt before our eyes, but she believed everything was fine,” said 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.”
Eating a raw food diet may have some health benefits, but experts note that it can be risky, especially over long periods of time.
“The goal is to eat foods in their natural state, without any kind of processing or heating that can change their structure,” explained the Cleveland Clinic. This allows for preparation methods such as blending, drying, juicing, soaking and sprouting.
Fresh fruits and vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, cancer-fighting phytochemicals and fiber. Raw vegan diets can also help with weight loss since fruits and vegetables are low in calories and the high fiber content makes people feel full longer.
“Everyone can benefit from eating more fruits and veggies,” said registered dietician Maxine Smith according to the clinic. “The average American eats too many processed foods and too much flour, sugar and salt.”
On the other hand, the raw vegan diet also excludes many foods and can lead to nutrient deficiencies, Smith explained. Those on a raw vegan diet can lack protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, iron and iodine.
“The raw vegan diet can be a short-term way to clean up your diet,” said Smith. “But it’s too restrictive to be a lifelong diet plan.”
An analysis from Stanford Medicine came to the same conclusion.
“A raw food diet may be worth considering for short-term use, particularly as a transition to more diverse healthy diet. Raw foods could also serve as the backbone of a very healthy diet that includes greater food diversity, especially sources of healthy oils and proteins,” it said. “For long-term use, eating something besides raw food is a necessity.”
Some people who appear to be dedicated to healthy eating may actually be suffering from a condition called orthorexia.
“Although not formally recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, awareness about orthorexia is on the rise,” said the National Eating Disorders Association. “The term ‘orthorexia’ was coined in 1998 and means an obsession with proper or ‘healthful’ eating. Although being aware of and concerned with the nutritional quality of the food you eat isn’t a problem in and of itself, people with orthorexia become so fixated on so-called ‘healthy eating’ that they actually damage their own well-being.”
According to the New York Post, “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,” and her family is waiting on a medical report.
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