Dr. María Cordero Hardy,This name uses Spanish marriage naming customs; the first is the maiden family name '' "Cordero"'' and the second or matrimonial family name is ''"Hardy"''. M.D., a.k.a. Mary Hardy (born June 12, 1932) is a Puerto Rican

physiologist Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical a ...

, educator and scientist whose research on

vitamin E Vitamin E is a group of eight fat soluble compounds that include four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. Vitamin E deficiency, which is rare and usually due to an underlying problem with digesting dietary fat rather than from a diet low in vitami ...

helped other scientists understand how vitamins affect the human body."Scientist from Puerto Rico, Maria Cordero Hardy (American Women in Science Biography)" By: Mary Ellen Verheyden-Hilliard; Publisher: Equity Institute; First edition. edition (June 1985); ;

Early years

Cordero Hardy (birth name: María Cordero) was born and raised in

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...

. There she received her primary education at a boarding school. An only child, she was raised by her mother after her parents were divorced. In 1947, at the age of 15, she moved to

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

with her mother and her stepfather. There she learned to speak

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. Upon her graduation from high school she was accepted and went to

Fordham University Fordham University () is a Private university, private Jesuit universities, Jesuit research university in New York City. Established in 1841 and named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the The Bronx, Bronx in which its origina ...

Vitamin "E" research

Cordero Hardy earned her doctorate degree in

physiology Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...

. Her research into

Vitamin E Vitamin E is a group of eight fat soluble compounds that include four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. Vitamin E deficiency, which is rare and usually due to an underlying problem with digesting dietary fat rather than from a diet low in vitami ...

helped other scientists understand how vitamins affect the human body. According to Cordero Hardy's findings, Vitamin E is an

antioxidant Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals. This can lead to polymerization and other chain reactions. They are frequently added to industrial products, such as fuels and lubricant ...

that has been effective in treating chronic hepatitis B, as stated in ''New Medicine: Complete Family Health Guide.'' Vitamin E has also exhibited the ability to protect the liver from damage that can occur in people with

hepatitis C Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) that primarily affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. During the initial infection people often have mild or no symptoms. Occasionally a fever, dark urine, a ...

. Cordero Hardy was the Project Director of the program which studied the effect of supplemental antioxidants

Vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) an ...

, Vitamin E, and

Coenzyme Q10 Coenzyme Q, also known as ubiquinone and marketed as CoQ10, is a coenzyme family that is ubiquitous in animals and most bacteria (hence the name ubiquinone). In humans, the most common form is coenzyme Q10 or ubiquinone-10. It is a 1,4-benzoq ...

for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. The groups findings were published the titles: ''Evidence Reports/Technology Assessments, No. 83''.Evidence Reports/Technology Assessments
/ref> She also reported a study that revealed that Vitex may affect levels of hormones that influence the menstrual cycle, reducing the symptoms of PMS.Articles Library
/ref> She was Associate Director, Botanical Research Center, Center for Human Nutrition, UCLA (2004)
/ref> Cordero Hardy was named medical director of the Cedars-Sinai Integrative Medicine Medical Group in Los Angeles. She was the Project Director of the program which studied the effect of supplemental antioxidants Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Coenzyme Q10 for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. The groups findings were published the titles: ''Evidence Reports/Technology Assessments, No. 83''. In 2004 she was also the Associate Director of the Botanical Research Center, Center for Human Nutrition in

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

Later years

Cordero Hardy met Anthony Hardy, whom she eventually married, during a vacation in England. She currently teaches medical technology at

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...

. A medical technologist is a person who studies blood and other body fluids. In her book ''Scientist from Puerto Rico, Maria Cordero Hardy (American Women in Science Biography)'', author Mary Ellen Verheyden-Hilliard stated that Cordero Hardy had to learn a new language, and to overcome the low expectations, of those who believed that her gender and place of origin should limit her future.Science reference guide
/ref>

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cordero Hardy, Maria 1932 births Puerto Rican scientists People from San Juan, Puerto Rico Living people Puerto Rican women scientists Women physiologists

Early years

Vitamin "E" research

Later years

Further reading

See also

Notes

References