Vegan Raw Food Influencer Zhanna D'Art Reportedly Dies of Starvation, Exhaustion

Zhanna Samsonova, a 39-year-old vegan raw food influencer known as Zhanna D'Art on social media, has died reportedly of starvation and exhaustion. The Russian national, who promoted raw foods on her online platforms, succumbed to her condition on July 21 during a trip to Southeast Asia, where she finally sought medical attention.

For at least a decade, Samsonova was only eating a raw vegan diet and passionately advocating it all the time on social media.

Concerns about her health had been raised earlier when she appeared visibly exhausted and had swollen legs oozing lymph during a previous visit to Sri Lanka. Despite being advised to seek treatment, she continued to avoid medical help, eventually leading to her untimely demise.

Her mother told Russian newspaper Vechernyaya Kazan that Samsonova passed away from what seemed like a "cholera-like infection." However, the exact cause of death has not been officially disclosed. Her mother expressed her belief that the extreme strain placed on her body by the restrictive all-vegan diet contributed to her exhaustion and health deterioration.

A close friend revealed that for the past seven years, the influencer's diet had solely consisted of giant sweet jackfruit and durian, a peculiar fruit known for its custard-like flesh and strong odor.

Zhanna had passionately shared her transformative experiences with her restrictive eating regimen on her social media accounts. She embraced her new self and was proud of the positive changes in her body and mind, as she discarded her previous habits.

Throughout her online presence, Samsonova used her platform to advocate for her raw diet doctrine, which attracted a substantial following among health-conscious individuals. However, her tragic passing has raised awareness about the potential risks associated with extreme dietary practices.