Vegetarianism has been around for centuries. But its cousin, veganism, is pretty new, and endorsers of this lifestyle seem to push this new herbivorous way of life on everyone possible. As per The Vegan Society, veganism means:
“A plant-based diet avoiding all animal foods such as meat (including fish, shellfish and insects), dairy, eggs and honey – as well as avoiding animal-derived materials, products tested on animals and places that use animals for entertainment.”
One such follower and promoter of this lifestyle was the Russian influencer Zhanna Samsonova. She reportedly followed an entirely raw vegan diet that had only fruits found in select Southeast Asian countries, and that might have been what ended her life.
The 39-year-old Russian food influencer, Zhanna Samsonova, known as Zhanna D’Art on social media, passed away on July 21, 2023. Many believe that her raw vegan diet, which consisted of only exotic fruits, deprived her body of essential nutrients, slowly led to starvation and death. However, her family is awaiting a medical report clarifying the cause of death.
What Happened to Zhanna D’Art? How Did She Die?
Zhanna Samsonova, who went by Zhanna D’Art on her social media handles of Instagram, TikTok, and more, passed away on July 21, 2023, in a hospital in Southeast Asia after seeking medical treatment. The 39-year-old vegan influencer’s death has shocked many, and people speculate that her raw vegan lifestyle, which she has been following for at least four to ten years, took her life.
Reportedly, the woman survived on juices, fruits, fruit smoothies, and sunflower seed sprouts. It’s said that she essentially survived only on Jackfruit and Durian. She has toured Asian countries like India, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam in her quest for the most exotic fruits.
Followers of the food influencer saw her physical condition of Zhanna deteriorate over time as she seemingly lost substantial muscle mass and became emaciated due to her supposed imbalanced diet. New York Post reported a friend of her telling Newsflash that:
“A few months ago, in Sri Lanka, she already looked exhausted, with swollen legs oozing lymph. They sent her home to seek treatment. However, she ran away again. When I saw her in Phuket, I was horrified.”
Another friend said that they convinced Zhanna to seek treatment because she had become frail, but it was too little too late. The Russian food blogger was apparently influenced by people whose junk food intake supposedly made them look older than their age. She didn’t want to be them, but in her quest, she ran too far in the opposite direction.
However, Samsonova’s mother isn’t quite ready to accept this. She said her daughter passed away due to an infection similar to Cholera. The official cause of death hasn’t been declared yet. Her family is waiting for the medical report that will help identify what caused her unnatural demise. Health experts think her strict raw diet could have led to her death and can’t be completely ruled out.
This is because a balanced diet complete with vital nutrients is essential for a healthy body as otherwise health issues like heart problems and more can surface. People think that Zhanna’s controversial choice of consuming only exotic fruits deprived her body of necessary nutrients, leading to her emaciated physique, starvation, and death.
But not everyone is on board with this explanation. Many think it wasn’t Zhanna’s raw vegan diet but the chemicals in the fruits that led to her death.
What do you think? What caused Zhanna Samsonova or Zhanna D’Art’s death?
Was it her raw diet that consisted only of exotic fruits? Or was it an infection, as her mother seems to believe? Could she have contracted this infection because her body lacked the nutrients?
Let us know in the comments below.
Source: NY Post and The Vegan Society
