Adelaide ophthalmologist Dr James Muecke uses keto diet to help SA mother Sujatha Rice’s health conditions

A former Australian of the Year and Adelaide doctor has reversed a mum of six’s serious health conditions using the ‘cult’ diet spruiked by controversial chef Pete Evans.

Former Australian of the Year, Adelaide ophthalmologist Dr James Muecke, has had a breakthrough in reversing a woman’s serious eye condition by putting her on a special keto diet instead of the usual approach of injecting antibodies.

Sujatha Rice, 47, of Firle, suffered from blurred vision due to diabetes-related macular oedema, a swelling of the retina at the back of the eye in the macular area.

As a bonus, she was able to come off insulin for her type 2 diabetes within a fortnight.

The treatment by the former state Lieutenant Governor continues his crusade against eye diseases caused by sugar-laden, carbohydrate rich diets.

“Rather than injecting an antibody into this patient’s eye to attempt to reverse the swelling involving the central vision area of her retina due to type 2 diabetes, I decided to give diet a go first,” Dr Muecke said.

Dr James Muecke and nutritionist Rachelle Martin. Picture: Emma Brasier

“With the expert assistance of Adelaide keto nutritionist Rachelle Martin, our mutual patient rapidly put her diabetes into remission using therapeutic carbohydrate reduction.

“Over the next nine months, the swelling gradually resolved with complete recovery of her sight.

“This powerful example of using real food as medicine to reverse the most feared complication of diabetes is the first ever published study (Retinal Cases & Brief Reports) of its kind.

“With diabetes now the leading cause of blindness among working age adults in Australia, surely every patient with type 2 diabetes needs to be made aware of the extraordinary opportunity for remission.”

Ms Rice, a mother of six children aged from seven to 24, is thrilled with the results.

“I was happy to try the keto diet – now my eyesight is stable and I am off insulin,” she said.

“You have to be strict with it to get the best results and it is hard to eat out sometimes, and I make my own sauces, but it is worth it.

“There are a lot of other benefits, not just the diabetes but also with mental health.

“When I was on a lot of sugar it sometimes felt like wading through mud, now I have a lot more energy and feel more positive.”

Before and after eye examination photos of Sujatha Rice’s eye problem.

A report of the case published in medical journal Retinal Cases & Brief Reports notes there is growing evidence to support the potential role of low-carbohydrate healthy fat and ketogenic diets in the management of diabetes mellitus.

It stated the woman who has insulin-dependent diabetes presented to an optometrist with a history of blurred vision and was diagnosed with mild macular oedema (MO) in both eyes.

“Within two weeks of the dietary change, the patient was able to cease her regular insulin and returned to normoglycaemia,” the journal article notes.

Healthy food diamond from Dr James Muecke.

“Within four weeks of her initial appointment with the nutritionist, ophthalmology follow-up found a reduction in MO in both eyes. At the last review 18 months later, MO in both eyes had completely resolved.”

Dr Muecke’s work in fighting preventable blindness through diet, including in Third World nations, has seen him develop a food diamond to replace the traditional food pyramid.

He also co-founded Sight For All, a social impact organisation aiming to fight preventable blindness and vision impairment.