Mom of vegan influencer who died at 39 claims 'extreme' vegan diet contributed to her death

The mom of a vegan influencer who passed away at just 39 years old has claimed her diet might have contributed to her untimely death.

Zhanna Samsonova, who was originally from Russia, gained more than 10,000 followers on Instagram by sharing her 'raw plant-based' food and recipes.

Samsonova herself had relied on her raw vegan diet for 10 years, during which time she nourished herself with fruits, seeds and smoothies - even reportedly giving up water in favour of fruit juices.

Instagram/@rawveganfoodchef

"No salt, less fat, and no oil and no dehydrated food!," she wrote in one post. "Just simple mono meal! That's all! And this is my level after 10 years to been of raw vegan."

On 21 July, Samsonova passed away in Malaysia after years of travelling across Asia.

Her family have since been fighting to get her body returned to Russia to find out her official cause of death, but in an interview with Russian newspaper Vechernyaya Kazan her mother, Vera Samsonova, expressed belief Samsonova's diet may have had a part to play in her passing.

The mom said that preliminary information about her daughter's death indicated it had been caused by a cholera-like infection, but she speculated that Samsonova may have struggled further as a result of exhaustion caused by her extreme diet.

Vera had tried to persuade her daughter to give up her vegan diet, but she never managed to convince her daughter, who hadn't complained about her health.

Instagram/@rawveganfoodchef

Some of Samsonova's friends also expressed concerns about the influencer's diet in interviews with Russian news outlet 116.ru.

"It was scary to look at her, to be honest, her hands were like those of my 12-year-old sister, thin," one friend said, while another claimed they'd seen Samsonova a few months ago in Sri Lanka 'looking exhausted'.

"They sent her home to seek treatment. However, she ran away again. When I saw her in Phuket, I was horrified," they claimed.

In one post prior to her death, Samsonova told her followers she felt her 'body and mind transform every day'.

"I never revert to my old behaviors because I adore the new version of myself," she added.

Heathline explains there are some benefits to the raw vegan diet, including improving blood cholesterol levels and heart health due to its focus on fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

However, the diet does also have its drawbacks as the food may lack important vitamins, like Vitamin B12, and therefore result in weaker muscles and bones.