by CAROLINE GRECH - St. Catharines Standard Staff

Drinking a glass of wine a day will help you live-longer, according to a Boston University professor. Dr. Harvey Finkel, a hematologist and oncologist who specializes in blood diseases and cancer, discussed his research at an international wine conference at Brock University in St. Catharines Saturday.

Finkey said death rates of people who drink on average one to two glasses of wine per day are lower than those who do not drink wine. Finkel cautioned, however, that death rates excalate again for people who drink more than six glasses of wine a day.

"For the vast majority, moderate consumption of alcohol, particularly wine, is beneficial to your cardiovascular health." It can also be viewed as a health risk not to drink one to two glasses of wine a day, according to Finkel. More than half of the benefits of alcohol can be credited to the chemical ethanol and the rest to antioxidants, Finkel said.

"Study after study has reported a reduction in illness and disability and the number of coronary deaths has dropped from 42 per cent to 25 per cent among moderate drinkers as compared to abstainers," Finkel said.

Originally a skeptic about the theory, Finkel said evidence in studies was becoming harder to ignore as each new study pointed to the same conclusions.

Alcohol stimulates the liver to produce more high-density ribo-proteins or "good cholesterol." The high-density proteins then carry low-density proteins or "bad cholesterol" to the liver and out of your system, said Finkel. The low-density proteins lead to blood vessels dogging up.

"Both alcohol and antioxidants inhibit the processes of excessive blood dotting. Antioxidants also enhance the health of coronary and other arteries by causing the muscles to relax," said Finkel.

Finkel did add, however, prolonged abuse of alcohol can severely damage the heart. Finke said quantities for alcohol consumption vary between men and women. Assuming average size and no other health risks, men on average can drink one to two glasses a day whereas women on average can drink on glass of wine a day.

"The average man can safely consume up to 14 ounces of wine daily without inflicting permanent harm on his liver," said Finkel.

Drinks should accomany meals and not be consumed in binges, he suggested. "One cannot save up their weekly allotment for Saturday night."

Just over three onces of spirits and 33 ounces of beer is the equivalent of 14 ounces of wine.

The limit of 14 ounces a day was set by liver experts and going over that limit even marginally will start to damage the liver, as it is more suceptible than other organs to damage from alcohol, said Finkel.

Since wine on average contains 2.8 grams of ethanol and alcohol per ounce, the limit for men is 60 grams of alcohol per day said Finkel. this is the equipvalent of just under three modest servings per day.

Volume in alcohol consumption changes for women, with 40 grams of alcohol a day being the limit. Hormones, body fat and size are all factors that change the effects of alcohol on the liver for women.

Prolonged and excessive alcohol consumption can increase the risk of certain cancers. Once cirrhosis of the liver sets in, the risk of cancer of the liver is high, said Finkel.

Finkel reiterated thaqt wine should be consumed in moderation and is not a healer of illnesses. "Wine is not a medicine. It exists to enrich life, not to medicate it."