What is GoFresh?

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GoFresh is research program that aims to test if low-salt groceries, rich in fruits and vegetables (known as the DASH eating plan) can lower blood pressure in Black adults.

Half of the participants in this program will receive:

1. Fresh groceries delivered to their door for FREE
2. Weekly calls from a registered dietitian who helps them order groceries online

The other half of the study participants will receive:

1. $500 every month for three months 

​Participants will need to commit to all 12 weeks of the intervention plus a 9-month observation period. All participants will need to come to our Clinical Research Center for in-person screening, surveys, blood pressure and weight measurements.

What are DASH groceries?

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DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This is a balanced eating plan rich in fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and lean meats that is low in red meat and sugar (sugary foods and beverages).

​The DASH eating plan is promoted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to prevent and control high blood pressure. 

​In this study, you will meet with a registered dietitian online or through the phone to order groceries, including: 

• fruits
• vegetables
• whole grains
• low-fat dairy products 
• fish
• poultry
• beans
• nuts​

Who can join this research program? 

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Anyone who is 18 years of age or older.

Anyone who self-identifies as Black or African American AND who lives in the Boston area, including the locations below:

• Brighton
• Chelsea
• Dorchester 
• East Boston
• Everett
• Hyde Park
• Jamaica Plain
• Malden
• Mattapan
• Revere
• Roslindale
• Roxbury (Roxbury Crossing, Mission Hill)
• Winthrop

Why is this important?

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Research shows that the DASH eating plan prevents high blood pressure and reduces risk of cardiovascular disease in Black adults

Many Black adults in urban cities with few grocery stores do not have equal access to healthy foods in the United States.

Virtual supermarkets represent a potential strategy to help address this inequality and provide healthy foods to all. 

Additional information

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The GoFresh study at BIDMC is part of the RESTORE Network, which is a collaboration between

• Harvard University
• New York University
• Columbia University
• University of Alabama
• Johns Hopkins University
• Wayne State University

​This larger network aims to address health disparities and build a society where every person lives a healthy life free of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, no matter their race, gender, geographical location, or socioeconomic status.

In part with the American Heart Association's Health Equity Research Network, the GoFresh study is striving to improve health equity for all communities. 

Behind the Scenes

We are researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, led by Primary Investigator, Stephen P. Juraschek, MD, PhD, funded by the American Heart Association's (AHA) Health Equity Research Network (HERN) and the National Institutes of Minority Health and Health Disparities. Our goal is to make healthy foods more accessible and improve health in Boston communities. GoFresh is registered on clinicaltrials.gov under NCT05393232 and NCT05121337.