Raw Vegan Influencer Dies of Malnutrition

Recently, most of us have heard that a famous raw vegan influencer reportedly died of malnutrition.

But is that true?

Let’s check some of the trending deadlines and then we will get to know the influencer more and we will also talk about the pros and cons of raw vegan diets.

New York Post:

“Vegan raw food influencer Zhanna Samsonova “was always going to die” if all she truly ate was fruit and seed sprouts, a nutritionist has declared. The 39-year-old Russian national, who had millions of followers across TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, was living in Malaysia when she died on July 21.”

Reference: https://nypost.com/2023/07/31/vegan-influencer-starved-to-death-friends/

Sky News:

“Vegan influencer Zhanna Samsonova ‘dies of starvation’ after a decade of only eating raw fruit and vegetables. Friends tell Russian media Samsonova had not consumed any water for six years before her death, and was refusing to get medical help after she was bedbound.”

Reference: https://news.sky.com/story/vegan-influencer-zhanna-samsonova-dies-of-starvation-after-decade-of-only-eating-raw-fruit-and-vegetables-12932232

The Independent:

“Vegan raw food influencer Zhanna D’art has died at the age of 39. Friends and family of the Russian food influencer, whose real name was Zhanna Samsonova, were quoted as saying by Newsflash that she “died of starvation and exhaustion” after subsisting exclusively on a “completely raw vegan diet” in Malaysia”

Reference: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/zhanna-samsonova-diet-vegan-influencer-dies-b2388656.html

Who Was Zhanna Samsonova?

Zhanna Samsonova was a famous raw vegan tiktoker who was born in Russia and based on what she said, her diet only consisted of raw vegan foods.

She was 39 when she passed and she was also following a raw vegan diet for years.

Apparently, she died because of starvation.

She went by the name “Zhanna D’Art” on the internet.

Moreover, she always talked about the benefits of raw vegan diets and the importance of eating fruits.

She also claimed that she only consumed raw foods for the past 10 years.

Unfortunately, she passed away on July 21^st, 2023.

According to her mother, Zhanna passed away from a “cholera-like infection.”

Her mother also said that she thinks that the main cause of Zhanna’s death is because of the physical and mental tiredness of following a strict raw vegan diet.

Once, she put up a post on social media and captioned it: “I feel my body and mind transform every day. I never revert to my old behaviors because I adore the new version of myself”.

She also stood for the fact that maintaining a raw vegan diet all year round keeps her healthy:

“I eat basic food while having a lot of experience as a raw food chef. I enjoy developing my own dishes and motivating others to eat well”.

Fact Check

For now, let’s be logical.

The media has only talked about the death of the influencer and the kind of diet that she was following.

But are raw vegan diets really that bad? Or, can a proper meal plan cause starvation?

We should look at the situation from a different perspective.

You might be confused right now but let me explain.

Raw Veganism

As we always say, raw veganism is the mix of vegan diet and raw diet.

As a raw vegan, I always avoid meat and animal products just like vegans but the difference between our diets is that raw vegans eat their food uncooked and raw.

But there are some other exceptions. We can also eat their food heated but only up to 48ºC (118ºF).

A raw vegan diet usually consists of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and seeds. The reason that I follow raw vegan diets is because they are mostly organic and not processed.

Malnutrition in Raw Vegan Diets

As a raw vegan, I can ensure you that malnutrition only happens when you don’t follow a complete and well-balanced raw vegan diet or you just don’t eat properly.

In the case of Zhanna Samsonova, we can clearly see that she wasn’t following a diet that at least was written by a nutritionist, plus it was obvious that she only ate what she liked to eat even when she could be healthier by just taking supplements or even other types of raw foods.

Let me ask you a question, based on common sense, can vegetables be bad for you?

Absolutely not, the safest foods to eat are Raw fruits and vegetables because most of them are organic which means they are not ultra-processed.

Right after that, I am going to bring in some valid research that we had provided in our previous articles.

Health magazines have always provided proof that raw vegan diets are good for overall health.

• First off, by following a raw vegan diet, you will have better digestion because most vegans don’t have that problem.
• Second, your insulin levels will be controlled.
• Also, your blood sugar will be stable.
• Clear skin, energy boost, and lower risk of heart disease are the other outcomes of eating vegan foods.

Nutrition in Raw Vegan Diets

Getting enough protein in raw vegan diets might be a little hard for people but since we have vegan protein supplements, protein will no longer be a challenge.

If you want to build muscle, you definitely need enough protein.

The required amount of protein for each person in a day is between 0.8-1.8g per kilogram of body weight.

A statement that most of us have heard of, is that raw vegan diets can’t make up for protein at all.

But is that true?

The truth is, raw vegan diets can make up for protein but that depends on many different factors.

It all depends on the meal plan that you are following.

The fix to that problem is in the hands of your nutritionist.

Speaking of protein in raw vegan diets, you can get enough protein from raw vegan protein sources like Legumes and grains, grains Seeds such as flax seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.

So, with eating those foods, you might no longer have any problem with getting enough protein, but if you still have problems, you can use Green pea protein powder which is completely safe because it is a completely safe dietary supplement.

Speaking of deficiencies, you should know that they can be in any diet and the potential risks are all about deficiencies.

Keep in mind that, you can always fix mineral and vitamin deficiencies by taking supplements.

But these are all potential risks and you can easily dodge these problems by following a proper diet by a doctor.

Necessary Supplements

I have always said that every diet can have its own flaws. Don’t mix up having flaws with being bad or incomplete.

What I’m saying is, that every person can have a specific nutrient or macronutrient deficiency because they don’t eat certain foods which is related to their diet.

So, the point of showing these nutrients is just about helping you to know what supplement you might need as a vegan or raw vegan.

Because of that, we flash back to one of our previous articles which was titled “If Veganism Is the Healthiest Diet, Why Do People Need to Take Supplements?”

The first nutrient that most vegans/raw vegans really need is vitamin B12. Even some non-vegans don’t get enough vitamin B12.

The benefits of vitamin B12 are that it helps in maintaining nerves and also maintaining normal brain function.

Vegetarians are also at a high risk of vitamin B12 deficiency.

The reason that doctors try to warn people about deficiency of vitamin B12 is that the deficiency of it can lead to fatigue, heart diseases, and mostly brain and nerve problems such as impaired brain function and Alzheimer’s, plus neurological disorders that are serious problems.

I can give you a lot of different vegan foods that have vitamin B12 but those foods might not be enough for you as a main vitamin B12 source.

To have enough vitamin B12, you will need vitamin B12 supplements.

In that article, we also talked about how raw vegans get more vitamin C than non-vegans because they are more likely to eat fruits and also the fact that you can’t find enough vitamin C in cooked animal foods.

Deficiency of vitamin C can cause scurvy which is a condition characterized by spotty skin and fatigue and advanced scurvy can cause yellow skin, loss of teeth, bleeding, and eventually death.

• What Foods Are High in B12 Vitamin For Vegetarians and Vegans
• Should Vegans Take Supplements (Vitamins )

Vitamin D3 is next.

Vitamin D3 has 2 different dietary types, that one of them is found in plants and the other one is found in animal-based foods.

Raw Vegans can be at a high risk of vitamin D3 deficiency if they are not taking supplements. Another supplement that we have mentioned before is creatine. Creatine is a molecule and naturally-occurring substance that is found in meat and fish.

The reason that most people use creatine supplements is that no food is rich in creatine even beef, tuna, salmon, and pork.

So, if you are a raw vegan athlete, you will definitely need creatine just like other athletes who are non-vegan.

Another thing that people should pay attention to, is the fact that some people have deficiencies that are not related to diets.

Like anemia (iron deficiency anemia) which some people have it since the beginning of their lives.

And the solution is iron supplements.

What Vegetarian Foods Are High in Vitamin D

How Media Showcases the Story

Propaganda makes people think that raw veganism is awful and dangerous, especially by demonstrating the death of people like Zhanna Samsonova because they can hide the lifestyle of a person and also avoid giving any information about their background.

I’ve been vegan for a long period and I’ve seen this type of propaganda being pushed a lot.

You have to know that poultry, meat, and dairy companies try to misuse stories like this so they can sell people their products by changing their minds.

The Best Raw Vegan Influencer

This influencer is my personal favorite raw vegan influencer.

I wanted to talk about her and suggest you to follow her on Instagram because I feel like she is the best food influencer that I know, not because her content is great but because she is one of the few influencers that is fully raw vegan rather than just being vegan.

I provided this paragraph to help you know the best raw vegan influencer, so you can use her knowledge because she shares her experience on social media.

Her name is Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram.

She is a famous Ecuadorian Lebanese social media influencer.

She claims she has been fully raw vegan for 18 years.

She shares a lot of recipes like fruit juice and shakes recipes and also colorful fruit bowls.

She also has online programs and a recipe app that you can purchase.

She is active on Instagram and YouTube.

Her content isn’t just about food, she also makes content about health and wellness.

Her vegan journey started when she was so tired of being chronically ill and she was at the lowest point of her life for different reasons.

She was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes with hyperglycemia and that’s when she wanted to make a change.

On her 18^th year of being raw vegan, she posted a few photos of her with an enormous fruit bowl and she said that it only took her a year and a half to reverse her diabetes.

Furthermore, she explained:

“For those who say that diet or lifestyle choices don’t matter, I’m a living testimony THAT THEY DO.

Now more than ever, eating plant-based with a rich emphasis on more fruits and vegetables helps you to feel your best, and importantly, helps save animal lives and the planet too.

I’ve planted 700+ fruit trees, and I’m growing an organic fruit orchard.

My intention has always been to FEED people, whether with recipes, inspiration, or food…and these next coming chapters are filled with so much excitement and possibility. I’ve learned so much the past 18 years, and what I’ll share with you is this: keep moving forward.

• Every step you take matters.
• Start with one fully raw vegan meal a day.
• Plan. Prepare. Share.
• Learn to grow your own food and live sustainably.

This is an abundant lifestyle! While it may seem like it’s all about the food.

it’s about much more than that, it’s about body, mind, and spirit healing.”

@fullyrawkristina on Instagram

Final Words

I’m really devastated by the news of Zhanna’s death and also way more devastated by the way the media showcased her death.

Like I always said, veganism isn’t just a diet, it’s a healthy lifestyle that we like to follow.

And about raw veganism, I have to tell you that the main reason that we like to eat our food raw is because we believe that heat takes away the vitamins and nutrients from the food so we tend to eat our organic food at its best.

I hope this article clarified this situation and at least made it more clear for you by talking about every single aspect and showing the background and the smallest details.

sara

Hi, I’m Sara, a vegan mom of two. My family and I have been living a vegan lifestyle for over 8 years now. I’m excited to share tips and insights about veganism and plant-based living through my posts. I love exploring new ideas, reading, and finding ways to grow. My passion for learning drives me to share what I discover, hoping to inspire and inform others along the way. As a content writer and screenwriter, I’m passionate about creating impactful stories around veganism, animal rights, and social justice. I’ve written several short films that explore the connection between veganism and social justice, with my work featured in various publications. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to drop them in the comments section or shoot me an email through the contact form on the website—I usually respond within 24 hours.