A Florida man’s diet of meat, cheese and fat caused cholesterol to leak from his hands.

If you’ve ever wondered why we’re always told to eat in moderation, a recent study by a man in Florida is a perfect example. The man’s doctors detail how his “carnivorous diet” caused him to have high levels of cholesterol that literally started leaking out of his body.

Cardiologists at Tampa General Hospital described the strange phenomenon in a paper has been published on Wednesday JAMA Cardiology. According to reports, the man went to the doctors weeks after he started developing painless but very noticeable “yellowish nodules” on his hands and elbows. It turned out that his problem was an unusual but known complication of high blood cholesterol, probably caused by the man’s diet of meat, cheese and lots of fat.

About eight months before the onset of symptoms, the man, who was in his 40s, had gone on a so-called carnivore diet. The diet, he told doctors, required him to consume high amounts of fat. He achieved this by regularly eating six to nine pounds of cheese, lots of fat sticks, and a daily hamburger filled with more fat. Interestingly, the man reported weight loss, increased energy and improved mental clarity after starting the diet. But unfortunately, there were some obvious negative consequences.

Doctors determined that his blood cholesterol level exceeded 1,000 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), well above the normal range. For context, healthy blood cholesterol is defined as less than 200 mg/dL, and high cholesterol is defined as greater than 240 mg/dL. Based on the result and his physical symptoms, doctors diagnosed the man with the rare but known form of xanthelasma.

Xanthelasma cholesterol deposits under the skin. Normally, excess cholesterol and other fats in our blood are removed by white blood cells called macrophages. But when this process breaks down, these macrophages become “foam cells” filled with too much cholesterol; it is these cells that eventually form the deposits that erupt from the skin.

Although there are other medical conditions that can cause xanthelasma to appear, such as some thyroid problems, about half of these cases are related to high blood cholesterol. The man’s case was particularly unusual because these deposits usually form around the eyelids – likely because the blood vessels in this area weaken over time due to constant blinking. However, xanthelasmas can theoretically occur anywhere on our body. The condition is quite rare: there is research is estimated approximately 1% of women and 0.3% of men develop xanthelasma.

As gross as they may look, xanthelasmas are harmless and can be removed with surgery or other cosmetic procedures. On the other hand, high blood cholesterol is known to increase the risk of future cardiovascular problems, including heart attack and stroke. Doctors don’t detail what happens to their patients after diagnosis, but they stress the importance of people avoiding high blood cholesterol.

“This case highlights the impact of dietary patterns on lipid levels and the importance of managing hypercholesterolemia to prevent complications,” they said.