Have you ever thought about the consequences of eating solely meat and cheese?

A man in his 40s found himself in a Florida hospital, where doctors noted that his cholesterol was alarmingly high. According to a case study published in JAMA Cardiology recently, he confessed to consuming 6 to 9 pounds of cheese, butter sticks, and hamburgers daily.

For around 8 months, this man adhered to a low-carb, meat-centric diet based on suggestions he found online, as detailed by Dr. Konstantinos Marmagkiolis, an interventional cardiologist at Tampa General Hospital who cared for him.

This diet was intended to help him manage his weight and enhance his overall health, as per Dr. Marmagkiolis’s insight, who authored the JAMA paper and serves as a collaborative associate professor of cardiology at the University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine.

Initially, the man saw positive outcomes—he lost weight, felt more energetic, and experienced better mental clarity, as noted in the journal article.

However, last spring, he arrived at Marmagkiolis’ hospital displaying smooth, yellowish lumps on his palms, elbows, and the soles of his feet.

His cholesterol levels soared to over 1,000 mg per deciliter, significantly above his usual range of 210 to 300 mg. For adults, normal cholesterol levels should be below 200 mg, which is five times lower than what this man had, according to information from Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Dr. Marmagkiolis diagnosed him with xanthelasma, a condition marked by cholesterol deposits accumulating in the skin. The man allowed researchers to share details about his medical situation, while keeping his identity confidential.

Xanthelasmas, found in about 1% of women and 0.3% of men, typically manifest as yellow bumps on the eyelids, especially near the nose. While they are generally harmless, they can signal a higher likelihood of heart disease or heart attacks in the future, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Although cholesterol is essential for building cells and producing vitamins and specific hormones, excess cholesterol can result in fatty deposits in arteries, raising the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

The liver produces sufficient cholesterol for bodily functions needed for survival.

Meat and dairy, which are prominent in high-protein diets like the man’s, are also rich in cholesterol.

This case underscores the impact that dietary choices can have on cholesterol levels and highlights the importance of managing these levels effectively.

It also serves as a cautionary tale for both medical professionals and individuals contemplating such diets.

“Not everyone can handle these diets,” Marmagkiolis cautioned. “Those who do must monitor their cholesterol closely.”