A Florida man’s unusual diet caused cholesterol to leave his body.
He had started the carnivore diet eight months earlier, which involves eating only animal products such as meat, fish, eggs and cheese.
The man, in his 40s, consumed up to nine pounds of cheese and butter a day, as well as fatty meats such as beef.
Doctors describe how the patient arrived at Tampa General Hospital three weeks after painless yellow lesions appeared all over his palms, soles and elbows.
Although he said he had lost weight and had more energy and mental clarity, his cholesterol was over 1,000 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), five times higher than the normal level.
Doctors discovered that excess cholesterol, a fatty substance found in the blood and in all the cells of the body, caused it to leak out of the man’s blood vessels, causing yellow deposits on his skin.
Although the injuries themselves are harmless, doctors warned in a medical magazine this week that extremely high cholesterol can lead to heart attacks, strokes and other health problems.
A man in Florida who ate nothing but butter, meat and other animal products arrived at the hospital with cholesterol five times the normal limit.

The man’s cholesterol was so high that it began to leak out of his hands, as shown by the yellow deposits shown here.
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While cholesterol is produced by the liver, it also comes from animal products such as meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy.
When cholesterol builds up in the blood, it forms plaques in the arteries, called atherosclerosis.
Extremely high levels, like the Florida man’s, can cause it to build up under the skin, forming visible deposits of fats called lipids.
These nodules normally form around the eyes, as prolonged blinking weakens the delicate blood vessels called capillaries around that area.
However, this type of leak can occur anywhere on the body, as evidenced by the deposits on the Florida man’s hands, feet, and elbows.
About half of patients with xanthelasma, the medical name for the symptoms experienced, have high cholesterol, and many patients inherit these high levels from their parents.
However, according to the Cleveland Clinic, those who are overweight, use tobacco, or have diabetes or high blood pressure may also be at higher risk, as they can cause plaque to build up in the arteries.

The unnamed man’s doctors believe his yellow hands, feet and elbows were due to extremely high cholesterol from his carnivorous diet, which he began eight months earlier.
It is unclear how the Florida man was treated, although xanthelasma usually must be removed with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy to destroy the tissue.
Laser surgery and chemical peels can also be used to remove deposits.
The Florida Man’s Doctors, writing in JAMA CardiologyHe warned that the case is an example of the unforeseen consequences of high cholesterol.
They wrote: “This case highlights the impact of dietary patterns on lipid levels and the importance of controlling hypercholesterolemia to prevent complications.”