Scientists believe cutting off sugar from colon cancer cells can lead to their starvation and death, and may offer new therapeutic options in the treatment of this deadly disease.

Almost half of all colon cancer patients carry KRAS mutations, which are sometimes also accompanied by BRAF mutations, and researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center found a gene called GLUT1 is consistently turned on in their tumors.

The gene is responsible for the production of a protein located on the cell surface that transports glucose inside the cells.

“We think increased GLUT1 is a survival adaptation that makes cancer cells very efficient at gathering what little sugar exists [inside the tumor],” says Dr. Bert Vogelstein, director of the Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics and Clayton Professor of Oncology at the Kimmel Center.

Further testing showed that therapies that inhibit the tumors’ glucose metabolism may yield promising results.

The researchers are careful not to interpret the results as suggesting that lowering sugar intake can cure colon cancer. However, the research is in line with other studies which suggest overconsumption of simple sugars – found in sodas, sweets or white bread- can lead to high blood sugar and health problems such as obesity, a known risk factor for cancer.

By contrast, the alkaline diet – which is based on citrus fruits, vegetables, tubers, nuts and legumes – is a source of healthier complex sugars, and may also boost bone health.