Can chronic illnesses be improved by dietary changes? A Japanese actress in her 60s suffered for years from chronic illnesses, collapsing and being hospitalized whenever she overworked. Recently, she tried a "Four Evils Elimination Diet" to change her constitution, and her health has improved. But does eliminating dairy, sweets, wheat, and vegetable oils really help reverse disease?
64-year-old Japanese actress Matsuda Miyuki has an impressive career. Her late husband was superstar Matsuda Yusaku, her sons are famous actors Matsuda Ryuhei and Matsuda Shota, and her older sister is actress Kumagai Naomi. Despite being from a renowned acting family, she has suffered from chronic illnesses in recent years, even being taken to the hospital by ambulance. Matsuda Miyuki recently shared on her Instagram: "In recent years, whenever I overwork, I get sick. This summer, I even called an ambulance. My mother also passed away at 57, so I feel very anxious too."
Following her sister's advice, Matsuda began practicing the "Four Evils Elimination Diet"developed by Dr. Yoshino Toshiaki, which involves completely eliminating sugar, wheat, vegetable oils, and dairy products. She was pleasantly surprised: "After following it for one month, I lost weight, and my body is gradually improving! Many minor discomforts have gotten better. Although I'm still in a transition period, my body sometimes feels unsteady."
She is determined to continue for a year, adding: "When I'm hungry, if I just grab something convenient to fill my stomach, my body keeps getting eroded."
Regarding this diet, Yoshino shared that during dental bone regeneration surgeries, he noticed most patients with diabetes or dyslipidemia had poorer healing, some even untreatable.
He asked patients to first eliminate the "Four Evils"—wheat, vegetable oils, dairy, and sweets. Not only did treatment outcomes improve, but some patients also saw simultaneous improvements in conditions like eczema, headaches, and menstrual pain. Yoshino believes these "evils" are linked to the surge in modern diseases: autoimmune diseases have increased 70-fold since the 1970s, breast cancer patients are 5 times more than 40 years ago, and diabetes patients are 50 times more than in the 1960s. This rapid increase is closely related to dietary Westernization.
Key Principles of the 'Four Evils Elimination Diet':
Yoshino emphasizes that the key is "complete elimination," not just reduction. He personally experienced miraculous improvement in his nearsightedness and presbyopia, no longer needing glasses. His dietary advice:
Yoshino uses a cup as a metaphor for the body's health. Even if currently healthy, long-term intake of unsuitable foods will eventually "overflow" the cup, leading to illness. He suggests reviewing one's diet while still healthy to prevent disease.
