By: Tomas Ronolski - AllPennyStocks.com News

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

There is no definitive blood test for gluten sensitivity, so it’s essentially impossible to know just how many people in the world suffer negative effects from ingesting gluten, a protein that is found in wheat, barley, rye and cross-bred hybrids of those grains. Research by the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment suggests that gluten sensitivity affects six percent of the U.S. population, or about 18 million people. The Mayo Clinic says that one in every 100 people has celiac disease, a more serious condition brought on by gluten in which ingesting the protein triggers the production of antibodies that damage the walls of the small intestine. Subsequently, the damaged lining does not absorb nutrients properly, putting the person at risk to a litany of health conditions or diseases. Rarely discussed a few years ago, the cause of celiac disease is still unknown. What is known now, though is that diagnosis rates are rising fast and the effects are far more than just a tummy ache. Sufferers of the disease can deal with violent abdominal pains, diarrhea, bloating, anemia, leg numbness and even depression and other mood disorders. Further, Mayo Clinic research shows that undiagnosed celiac disease can increase the likelihood of death four-fold because of co-morbidities.

There are no drugs available for celiac disease, much less gluten sensitivity. The only treatment is to maintain a gluten-free diet.

The good news is that with the growing exposure, many restaurants now offer gluten-free menus. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is aiming to help consumers by putting a new rule in place In 2014 that any food labeled “gluten-free” must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten, setting a uniform standard for labeling. Further good news is that more manufacturers are offering gluten-free products, such as nutraceutical company EHouse Global, Inc. (OTCBB:EHOS).

La Jolla, California-based EHouse said on Wednesday that it has launched, through its wholly-owned subsidiary NutraLiquids LLC, 16 different liquid nutritional products, all of which are gluten free and natural. The products come either in single-serve pouches or in 30-ounce bottles for a month’s supply.

The product line covers a diversified spectrum of dietary aids and vitamin supplements ranging from those aiming to promote health to others for hangover and flu prevention and back again. For example, there’s a product branded “Omega 369” in different flavors for cardiovascular health; “KidsDaily” with a full compliment of vitamins, antioxidants and trace elements in an orange-mango-pineapple-banana flavor; and “trimlite” which is a weight-loss concoction to boost metabolism and reduce food cravings without caffeine.

From an investor’s standpoint, EHouse is still truly developmental, changing its name in January and declaring a 34-for-1 forward split (presumably to facilitate some liquidity in stock trading as a negligible amount of shares were outstanding). In June a deal was struck to acquire NutraLiquids with the transaction completed and announced in October as the company aims to penetrate the $26-billion U.S. dietary supplement market. No revenue has been realized to date, but the products are actively being sold in various channels, such as Amazon.com. To that point, investors will be monitoring upcoming SEC filings and corporate reports to evaluate market capture in a competitive, but very lucrative industry and the impact of the innovative gluten-free products. Proper due diligence is, as always, encouraged.

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