Vegan Influencer Zhanna Samsonova Dies of Starvation from Raw Vegan Diet

39-year-old vegan influencer named Zhanna Samsonova has died of starvation, according to reports. The Russian national had been subsisting on an entirely raw vegan diet for more than a decade. 

Zhanna Samsonova, a vegan influencer, who promoted the extreme raw diet on her social media accounts on Tiktok, Instagram and Facebook, had millions of followers. For the past five years, Samsonova had restricted her diet to exotic Malaysian fruits, sunflower seed sprouts, fruit smoothies and juices. Her Instagram feeds were filled with colorful raw dishes including soups, salads and fruits with over thousands of likes. 

Onset of Malnutrition in the Vegan Influencer

Her friends and followers had expressed concern over her health in the last few months.

One of her friends reported that she already looked exhausted, with swollen legs oozing lymph a few months back. They sent her home to seek treatment. But she refused to get treatment. “When I saw her in Phuket, I was horrified.” the friend added.

Her friend further said, “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.”

She passed away on 21 July, reportedly from a ‘cholera-like infection’ exacerbated by ‘exhaustion of the body by a vegan diet’ her mother told Russian newspaper Vechernyaya Kazan

In her Insta post on June 10, Zhanna had revealed her excitement for the Durian season in Thailand. 3 days before this, she had also commented “Time to gain weight” in another post where she is seen holding a Durian fruit.

In an earlier post, Samsonova had made this claim: 

“…contrary to previously proposed theories that meat eating…may have been responsible for giving primates large brains, the latest theory credits fruit eating for this phenomenon.

From this natural perspective, fruits have been the perfect human food for millenia, similar to that of many of our closest primate ancestors.”

“I see my body and mind transform every day,” the vegan influencer often professed her zest and dedication to her restrictive diet. “I love my new me, and never move on to the habits that I used to use.”

The Science Behind Raw Vegan Diets

While a raw vegan diet can have multiple health benefits including weight loss, clear skin, better digestion, more energy, and improved heart health, it is not approved by certified dieticians. 

The benefits include reduced risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. Some studies have also documented positive results for people with fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. Low concentration of LDLcholesterol, low levels of triglyceride, blood sugar,blood pressure; and reduced risk of obesity and diabetes type 2 are other benefits revealed in studies.

The 2019 study (1) also warns that a person following a fruit diet may be missing out on many vital nutrients, including iron, calcium, vitamin D, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins such as vitamin B-12. This can in fact result in anemia, nervous system damage, infertility and, ironically, even heart disease. Studies have identified low bone mass associated with raw vegan diets.

These nutrients play crucial roles in the functioning of the body. Consuming too few of these nutrients can lead to health problems, such as:

• dry skin and brittle hair
• fatigue
• low mood
• depression
• weakened bones
• reduced immunity
• weakened muscles
• cognitive difficulties
• life threatening complications

While the proponents claim raw food to be more nutritious given that cooking can destroy certain vitamins and nutrients in food, cooking increases the bioavailability of certain other nutrients. Cooking helps the release of some nutrients by breaking apart fibers and cellular walls and improves nutritional and physicochemical qualities of food.

Lack of protein is another main risk associated with a fruit diet. Besides, a fruit diet is also high in sugar, which may lead to a number of health problems.

Another risk raw diet poses is of the chemicals and pathogenic microorganisms in raw fruits and vegetables. This is eliminated when food is cooked.

Takeaway

The popular scientific consensus is that intermittent short-term raw, vegan diets can be beneficial to humans. Most scientists recommend a combination diet based on raw and cooked food, eating meat,fruits and vegetables for optimum health.

Responding to Zhanna Samsonova’s death, a friend made this forthright but sincere comment on social media:

“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.”