Vegan influencer dies from 'starvation' after switching to tropical fruit diet

A raw vegan influencer has died after switching to a tropical fruit diet that led to starvation and exhaustion, friends say.

39-year-old Zhanna Samsonova was an influencer known on social media for sharing her raw vegan diet, which saw her consume mostly fruit.

Samsonova died on 21 July after she sought medical attention during her travels in Southeast Asia.

While her cause of death has not been officially declared, her mother is reported to have said that he daughter died from a “cholera-like infection”.

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For at least four years, Samsonova had been following a raw vegan diet, eating foods such as fruit, sunflower seed sprouts and smoothies and juices.

LBC reports that friends were concerned that for the past seven years, they hadn’t seen her consume much besides jackfruit and durian, a pungent tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia.

One friend said: “A few months ago in Sri Lanka, she already looked exhausted, with swollen legs oozing lymph.

“They sent her home to seek treatment. I convinced her to seek treatment, but she didn’t make it.”

Another said: “You don’t need to be a doctor to understand where this will lead.”

In her most recent Instagram post, Samsonova celebrated the start of the durian season in Thailand.

She wrote: “It’s that fabulous time of year again – Durian Season in Thailand! Wake Up And Smell the Durian! For all you durian lovers out there, isn’t it just the best? And for those who haven’t yet experienced the joy of durian, you’re in for a wild ride!”

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