Carnivore no more?
A Florida man in his mid-40s on a meat, fat, and dairy-heavy diet arrived at a Tampa hospital with ooze emanating from yellowish nodes on the palms of his hands, elbows, and the soles of his feet.
The man told doctors that he had adopted a “carnivore diet” eight months, explaining that his daily intake was made up of entire sticks of butter, 6-9 pounds of cheese, and hamburger patties.
His case was published in JAMA Cardiology this week.
The carnivore diet — which involves consuming only animal byproducts such as meat, eggs, and dairy — has gained popularity in fringe fitness circles. Devotees claim that the pure protein, no-vegetable lifestyle has helped them shed weight and improve their overall health.
This patient, though, appears to have taken it to extremes — and he insisted his overall health had improved.
Since going full fat and all animal, the man claimed he lost weight and saw marked improvements in his energy levels and cognitive functioning.
But his skin was another story: The painless but decidedly ew ooze had been affecting him for nearly a month before he sought treatment.
Doctors discovered that the butter man’s total cholesterol level exceeded 1,000 mg/dL. For comparison, a healthy cholesterol level is under 200 mg/dL with 240 mg/dL deemed “high.”
Having high total cholesterol is strongly associated with coronary heart disease.
Before he adopted his extreme carnivore meal plan, the man’s cholesterol had fluctuated in the 210 to 300 mg/dL range.
Cardiologists diagnosed the man with xanthelasma, a condition caused by high cholesterol levels or other fats in the blood. In cases of xanthelasma, excess lipids ooze from blood vessels and form localized lipid deposits.
These deposits are commonly found around the eye, a condition called xanthelasma palpebrarum, but can present, as they did in this case, elsewhere in the body.
Xanthelasma — particularly xanthelasma palpebrarum — can be caused by high cholesterol, diabetes or thyroid issues.
The case study authors did not provide information about the man’s outcome but noted that the case “highlights the impact of dietary patterns on lipid levels and the importance of managing hypercholesterolemia to prevent complications.”
Yet some die-hard meatheads will not heed the warning.
Earlier this month, a former vegan gained traction on TikTok by touting her “high-fat carnivore diet,” consisting of whole sticks of butter, ground beef, and nearly two dozen eggs daily.
And the fat forward fanbase does not end there.
One fitness influencer swears by her diet of bone broth and raw liver, while an ex-vegan claimed her hair, teeth, and nails improved by only eating animal products.
In 2022, TikToker Courtney Luna went viral for breaking down her carnivorous diet of cream, butter, steak, bacon, eggs, and burgers after boasting that her diet helped her shed 30 pounds.
Unsurprisingly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not endorse the carnivore diet. They advise a “variety” of fruits, vegetables, and grains to be eaten, along with low-fat dairy sources and different sources of protein.
A healthy diet, according to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guideline for Americans presented by the US Department of Agriculture, consists of 2.5 cups of vegetables every day, 2 cups of fruit, 6 cups of grains, 3 cups of dairy, 5 grams of oil and only 5.5 ounces of meat per day.
