Vegan influencer Zhanna Samsonova dies of starvation after being on exotic fruit diet

There is a dark side to fad diets. Health-conscious Russian influencer Zhanna Samsonova, known as Zhanna D'Art has died. According to multiple news reports, Zhanna died due to a prolonged struggle with starvation and exhaustion. She was reportedly on an exclusive exotic fruit diet before she died.

For years, Zhanna had advocated passionately a raw vegan diet to her followers on social media. Her diet mostly consisted of fruits, sunflower seed sprouts, fruit smoothies, and juices, all of which she believed would lead her to optimum health.

It seems the rigid diet of just exotic fruits took a severe toll on her body.

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A post shared by Raw food Creation by Zhanna D’art (@rawveganfoodchef)

One of Zhanna's close friends spoke to NewsFlash and revealed that she had tried to warn her about the side effects of such harsh diets."Zhanna’s idle stagnation was causing her to melt before our eyes, but she believed everything was fine. 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."

Zhanna's mother disclosed to Russian newspaper Vechernyaya Kazan that her daughter's health worsened due to a "cholera-like infection" and the added strain of malnutrition caused by her vegan diet.

The situation took a turn for the worse during her tour of Southeast Asia, where she eventually passed away on 21 July, 2023.

While there have been speculations around her death, the actual casue has not been made public. Neither has there been any official statement on the cause of her death.

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