Raw vegan food influencer Zhanna D’Art (real name: Zhanna Samsonova) is known by her followers for “walking the talk”. She has been actively promoting and adhering to a strict diet of fruits and juices. As such, it came as a shock to many when she passed away in Malaysia last week.
Healthy eating has been all the rage as people scrambled to find ways to live longer and look younger. Zhanna D’Art has been very dedicated to her cause and has been very vocal about its benefits. However, since her unexpected passing, netizens have been in two minds about the cause of her death.
A friend had first revealed the news about Zhanna via her Instagram. News outlets reportedly stated that the Russian-born influencer drew last breath on 21st July but, one of her friend’s posts announced her passing on 26th July. Zhanna had supposedly passed away after seeking medical treatment during a tour in Southeast Asia.
Zhanna’s mother reportedly claimed her daughter’s death had been due to a “cholera-like infection”. However, medical personal supposedly alleged Zhanna had been severely malnourished due to starvation. Currently, many are still waiting on an official medical opinion and for her death certificate. But, friends claimed Zhanna’s decline in health was not recent.
One friend told news outlet Newsflash: “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.” The friend added they had urged Zhanna to seek treatment. “I lived one floor above her and every day I feared finding her lifeless body in the morning,” they said.
Zhanna had reportedly been living off a diet of “fruits, sunflower seeds sprouts, fruit smoothies and juices”. Another friend added she had been only eating jackfruit and durian for the last seven years. Zhanna D’Art firmly believed in her raw foods diet, claiming it was inspired by “peers” on “junk food diets” who looked older than their ages.
“I see my body and mind transform every day. I love my new me, and never move on to the habits that I used to use,” the 39-year-old had said. Zhanna also managed a social media account promoting her doctrine, including recipes for people to try. However, according to the New York Post, her friends allegedly believe her diet is to be blamed for her passing.
Still, many netizens have been defending Zhanna D’Art’s diet, with several theorising the possibility of an eating disorder. “Eating raw vegan is the most healthy thing you can do,” one commented. “The woman who passed away most likely struggled with orthorexia, anorexia and possibly other eating disorders. Raw vegan does not mean starving yourself.”
Regardless of Zhanna D’Art’s cause of death, we would like to offer our condolences to those who knew her. We sincerely hope they find peace in her passing. We also hope others will take better care of themselves, be it by their lifestyle or diet.
Sources: Instagram (1)(2), New York Post, China Press
