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'She did not listen to me': Mum of influencer Zhanna Samsonova who died after adopting raw fruit diet shares anguish
2 August 2023, 11:57 | Updated: 2 August 2023, 12:13
The mother of a vegan influencer who died after adopting an 'extreme' raw fruit diet has revealed her anguish after her daughter's death.
Her official cause of death is yet to be determined, but her mother is reported to have said she succumbed to a ‘cholera-like infection’.
Zhanna's mum Vera Samsonova, 63, said her daughter "did not listen to her" after warnings over the effects of her extreme diet.
"She is already read, she is no more," Vera told Russian media.
"Please stop writing bad things, it hurts be a lot. She chose this path. I fought for many years [but] she did not listen to her mother."
Zhanna had been following an entirely raw vegan diet for several years and survived on nothing but ‘fruits, sunflower seed sprouts, fruit smoothies and juices.’
It comes after Zhanna last message was revealed to a cryptic chilling post online.
"Life is meaningless but worth living provided you recognise it's meaningless," it read.
Friends have claimed that for the last seven years she had eaten nothing but jackfruit and the tropical fruit durian, known for its overpowering smell.
“You don’t need to be a doctor to understand where this will lead,” one friend said.
Another 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.”
She used social media to describe her raw diet, saying: “I eat simple food, although I have a lot of experience as a raw food chef. I love creating my own recipes and inspiring people to eat healthier.”