The death of vegan influencer Zhanna Samsonova has drawn attention to a dangerously restrictive diet called fruitarianism.
Fruitarianism is an extreme vegan diet where people eat mostly raw fruits such as apples, bananas and strawberries, although it can be supplemented with vegetables and seeds.
Ms Samsonova, who lived in Southeast Asia, died on July 21 from a reported ‘cholera-like infection’ that her mother said had been exacerbated by ‘depletion of the body from a vegan diet’.
The 39-year-old, known online as Zhanna D’Art, also practiced “dry fasting” – occasionally refusing to eat or drink for days at a time.
When she ate, she subsisted entirely on an exclusively raw vegan diet consisting of “fruits, sunflower seeds, fruit smoothies and juices,” a regimen she had maintained for the past five years.
Diets that exclude entire food groups have gained popularity in recent years, helped by celebrities jumping on the no-carbs or zero-sugar bandwagon. And huge numbers of videos, photos and posts from people extolling the virtues of fruitarianism — a raw food diet consisting primarily of fruit — have flooded social media for years.
Originally from Russia, Zhanna lived in Southeast Asia for the past five years eating a raw vegan diet consisting of “fruits, sunflower seeds, fruit smoothies and juices.”
Diets that exclude entire food groups have gained popularity in recent years, helped by celebrities jumping on the no-carbs or zero-sugar bandwagon.
And huge numbers of videos and social media posts from people extolling the virtues of fruitarianism have flooded social media for years.
How much fruit needs to be eaten for a diet to be considered fruity is a matter of debate.
However, an oft-cited “rule” is that between 55 and 75 percent of the diet should consist primarily of raw fruit, with some people supplementing with nuts, seeds, and grains.
Proponents of the trend claim it helps with digestion and hydration, improves cognition, and can even give you more energy or “detoxify” your body.
Most famously, the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs spent some time as a fruitarian, claiming it fueled his creativity.
In an attempt at method acting before playing Jobs for a biopic, actor Ashton Kutcher tried to control his diet by eating only fruit for a month.
But Kutcher ended up in the hospital because of it.
Here, MailOnline explains some of the health risks the trend poses:
Malnutrition
Although fruit is undoubtedly nutritious, it does not give the body everything it needs.
A low-calorie diet of mostly raw fruit will lead to weight loss initially, but consuming fewer calories than you need in the long run means the body is breaking down its own muscle tissue to use as fuel.
Fruit also lacks protein and a lack of it will affect wound healing, nerve signaling and digestion.
According to the British Heart Foundation, adults need an average of 0.75 g of protein per kilogram of body weight – an average of about 45 g for women or 55 g for men.
A lack of substantial calories and fat, both a lack of fruit, can also lead to dry skin and hair that becomes brittle and falls out, says the National Eating Disorders Association.
Insufficient nutrition can also reduce the number of certain types of blood cells and can also cause pancreatitis, a potentially dangerous inflammation of the pancreas.
Symptoms of the condition include pain, nausea, and vomiting.
On the other hand, if you don’t watch your portion sizes, you could end up consuming more calories than you burn.
This can happen if you eat a lot of high-calorie fruits like avocados, which each contain about 320 calories — more than a McDonald’s cheeseburger.
Other examples of high-calorie fruits include grapes, which contain about 230 calories in two cups; or papayas, each of which has about 150 calories.
In a post published on June 7, Ms. Samsonova said she was excited about Thailand’s fruit season, saying it was “time to arrive”
Effect on teeth
Because fruit is packed with natural sugars, fruit growers run the risk of eating much more than the recommended daily intake of 25g of the sweet stuff.
According to Cleveland Clinic registered dietitian Kate Patton, the diet can carry the risk of tooth decay.
Apples can also be just as corrosive to your teeth as candy or soda, while oranges are highly acidic and can erode tooth enamel.
In addition to its impact on tooth enamel, excess sugar has also been shown to interfere with the production of collagen, a protein in the skin that helps keep skin looking youthful.
Vitamin deficiency
While most fruits are considered healthy, with many rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene, a diet that relies almost exclusively on fruit will be deficient in several nutrients.
This may include iron, calcium, vitamins B — including vitamin B12 — and D, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids, according to James Brown, an associate professor of biology and biomedical sciences at Aston University.
A deficiency in these nutrients, especially vitamin B, can lead to softening of the bones, known medically as osteomalacia, or even anemia where the body does not produce enough red blood cells.
Certified Registered Dietitian Lisa DeFazio also shared Wide“Fruit eaters often have low levels of vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D, iodine, and omega-3 fatty acids, which can lead to anemia, fatigue, and a weak immune system.”
Bowel discomfort and irregularity
Fiber is an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Adequate nutrition helps prevent constipation and diverticular disease – small pouches in the gut that become inflamed and cause abdominal pain – according to the NHS.
While fruit is high in soluble fiber, where it is digested in the body and broken down in the colon, too much of it can cause diarrhea.
Excess fiber can also cause bloating, cramping and excessive flatulence.
It’s also important to drink plenty of fluids on a high-fiber diet, the health department also notes, because fiber absorbs water.
Between six and eight large glasses of liquid per day is recommended.