Lelord Kordel

Lelord Kordel (or Kordell) (1904 – 2001) was a Polish American nutritionist and author of books on healthy living.

Born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1904, Lelord Kordel emigrated with his parents to the United States as a child and grew up in Chicago, where his father, a journeyman baker, had found work. After school and university studies in Chicago, Kordel returned to Poland to continue his studies at the University of Krakow. After completion of his doctorate (Ph.D. in biochemistry) in 1930, he worked for two years as a scientific instructor and then took up a position as a research assistant to the famous British physician Sir William Arbuthnot-Lane, whose theories inspired his career as a nutritionist.

When Kordel returned to America in the early 1930s, he opened the California Nutrition Clinic in Beverly Hills. As an independent researcher and industry consultant, he developed programs for healthy living and pioneered concepts for dietary supplementation. During World War II, he conducted and supervised seminars on nutrition for the war effort and was active in the “Food and Nutrition for Victory” programs, for which he earned several awards.

After the war, Kordel began a successful career as a writer on healthy living and nutrition. He authored many popular books, such as “Health the Easy Way” (1946), “Health Through Nutrition” (1950), “Eat and Grow Younger” (1952), “Cook Right – Live Longer” (1962), “Natural Folk Remedies” (1972), and “Eat and Grow Slender” (1977). “Eat and Grow Younger” was his most popular bestseller with a print run of more than four million copies. An early book, "Herbal Highlights" was copyrighted by Lelord Kordel Lectures in 1941.

From his home base in Detroit, Michigan, Kordel traveled throughout the world to educate the public on proper nutrition and a balanced diet. His teachings and formulations gained a wide circle of followers among different segments of society, including film stars such as Zsa Zsa Gabor, Eva Gabor, Gloria Swanson and Raquel Welch, who sought his advice on staying healthy and looking well. Kordel was an inspiring example of his own dietary precepts; he enjoyed excellent health and vitality throughout his long life. His advocacy of health through nutrition is carried on in a range of dietary supplements (vitamins, minerals, herbal formulations and specialty nutrients) marketed internationally under the brand name “Kordel’s”.