Fact Check: Photos show yellow 'cholesterol nodules' on man's palms. Here's what he ate that caused it
Claim:
Photographs genuinely show a man with yellow "cholesterol nodules" on his palms caused by a "carnivore diet."
Rating:
Photographs shared on social media (archived, archived, archived) in January 2025 claimed to show the palms of a man who experienced "yellow nodules" on his hands after eating only beef, butter and cheese, also known as the carnivore diet.
One such post (archived) shared on Reddit received more than 56,000 upvotes at the time of this writing:
Yellow cholesterol nodules in patient's skin built up from eating a diet consisting of only beef, butter and cheese. His total cholesterol level exceeded 1,000 mg/dL. For context, an optimal total cholesterol level is under 200 mg/dL, while 240 mg/dL is considered the threshold for 'high.'
by u/licecrispies in interestingasfuck
Doctors described the case in a Jan. 22, 2025, article in the journal JAMA Cardiology titled "Yellowish Nodules on a Man Consuming a Carnivore Diet." Because of this, the claim is true.
According to the report, a man in his 40s experienced "asymptomatic yellowish nodules on his palms, soles, and elbows" for three weeks. Eight months earlier, he had adopted a so-called carnivore diet.
"His dietary habits included a high intake of fats, consisting of 6 to 9 lb of cheese, sticks of butter, and additional fat incorporated into his daily hamburgers," wrote the case report's authors, Drs. Konstantinos Marmagkiolis, Jaime Caballero, and Cezar Iliescu.
"He reported weight loss, increased energy, and improved mental clarity."
Upon examination, doctors found "multiple painless yellowish nodules" on the man's palms and elbows. His cholesterol had exceeded 1,000 mg/dL – five times what is considered normal.
Doctors diagnosed the man with xanthoma, a condition described by the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology as a skin growth caused by built-up cholesterol deposits. StatPearls, an online platform that provides medical and health care information, reports that xanthomas are usually benign but often are a "visible sign of systemic diseases."
The man's xanthoma was likely caused by hypercholesterolemia, which the Cleveland Clinic describes as a lipid disorder in which a person's low-density lipoprotein (LDL) — often called bad cholesterol — is too high. Hypercholesterolemia is best treated with a combination of medications and lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight.
"This case highlights the impact of dietary patterns on lipid levels and the importance of managing hypercholesterolemia to prevent complications," the case report's authors wrote.
Sources:
Bell, Andrea, and Aparna P. Shreenath. "Xanthoma." StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 2025. PubMed, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562241/.
"Hypercholesterolemia: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment." Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23921-hypercholesterolemia. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/hellodoctortalks/p/DFeeEQ5tmrQ/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
---. https://www.instagram.com/examroomnutrition/reel/DFVtMCMxTUj/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
---. https://www.instagram.com/unknownfactsinsta/p/DFMvz0gsTbi/?hl=en. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
---. https://www.instagram.com/hellodoctortalks/p/DFeeEQ5tmrQ/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
"What Should My Cholesterol Levels Be?" Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11920-cholesterol-numbers-what-do-they-mean. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
