Eating fresh seasonal produce enables you to discover more about the plants local to your area. It also helps you meet your nutritional goals, as highlighted by registered dietitian nutritionist Annie Cavalier (via American Heart Association). Cavalier notes that “when you have those fruits and those vegetables that are richer in color, richer in flavor, that usually means that they’re actually higher in nutrients as well.” With this in mind, consider exploring beyond typical spring veggies like artichokes, asparagus, and lettuce. If you’re lucky, you might come across a forager’s favorite, the wild ramp.
Related to alliums like leeks and garlic, the wild ramp is not cultivated. It is a forest-loving plant that emerges early in the season and is available for only a few weeks. Therefore, you might only spot it once or twice at a farmer’s market stall that features foraged foods. And if you do find ramps for sale, be sure to purchase some to enhance your healthy grocery shopping habits. They are often quickly bought by food enthusiasts.
What explains the keen interest in this garlicky, onion-flavored plant that’s challenging to grow in gardens and somewhat elusive? Wild ramps are rich in anticancer compounds, as well as vitamin K and thiosulfinates. As a result, incorporating wild ramps into your diet — even temporarily — may contribute to a diet that reduces your risk of certain cancers and enhances your body’s blood clotting mechanisms.
The cancer-preventing potential of wild ramps
Wild ramps contain sulfur compounds (e.g., allicin, thiosulfinates, and cepaenes) with anti-cancer properties. Research indicates that consuming wild ramps may hinder the development or growth of certain cancer cell lines. A 2025 article in Anticancer Research examined the impact of organosulfur compounds on the reproduction of breast cancer cells. Although it concentrated on compounds in garlic, they are the same ones found in all alliums, including wild ramps. Researchers concluded that these compounds could potentially inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation. (Read this for a comprehensive guide on breast cancer.)
Moreover, a 2001 paper in Environmental Health Perspectives elucidates the mechanism that may grant organosulfur compounds in allium plants (like wild ramps) their protective capacities. These compounds might block the formation of cancer cells in certain body regions, including the breasts, lungs, and gastrointestinal organs. Lastly, a 2024 review in Nutrients noted that organosulfur compounds had shown efficacy against colorectal cancer cell development in several studies.
Wild ramps can keep blood clotting at a healthy level
The vitamin K and thiosulfinates in wild ramps function in two distinct ways, both involving blood clotting.
Vitamin K plays a crucial role in blood clotting, a process that prompts platelets and proteins to aggregate when blood vessels are damaged. For instance, when you incur a cut on your finger, your blood tends to thicken (clot) to minimize blood loss. Without clotting, you would be in danger of life-threatening blood loss from even minor injuries. Wild ramps belong to the leek family, and each leek you consume provides approximately 31 micrograms of vitamin K. This is noteworthy, considering the daily recommended intake of vitamin K for women and men is 90 and 120 micrograms, respectively.
Conversely, thiosulfinates act on your blood by preventing clotting. In essence, thiosulfinates are natural blood thinners, which could be beneficial if you’re collaborating with your doctor to naturally lower your blood pressure and address unwanted blood clots. However, if you’re aiming to maximize their blood-thinning effect, you might want to avoid extensively cooking your wild ramps. A 2007 study from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry revealed that when garlic was cooked for at least 10 minutes, its antiplatelet properties disappeared. Since wild ramps and garlic are both alliums, wild ramps may exhibit similar properties.
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