A nurse is educating a patient with hypertension on the DASH diet. Which statement indicates the patient understands the dietary recommendations?

Hypertension is driven by increased systemic vascular resistance, endothelial dysfunction, and dysregulated renin-angiotensin-aldosterone activity, leading to persistent elevation in arterial pressure. The DASH diet reduces blood pressure by enhancing vasodilation, improving electrolyte balance, and decreasing sodium-driven fluid retention. Rationale: A. Increasing red meat intake raises saturated fat consumption, promoting atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction. This worsens vascular resistance and contributes to hypertension progression. It is not consistent with DASH dietary principles. B. Avoiding potassium-rich fruits is incorrect because dietary potassium promotes sodium excretion and vascular smooth muscle relaxation. Potassium intake helps lower blood pressure rather than increase it. This statement reflects misunderstanding of DASH recommendations. C. Emphasizing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and sodium reduction directly aligns with the DASH diet. These foods increase potassium, magnesium, and fiber intake while lowering sodium load, improving vasodilation and reducing systemic vascular resistance. This is the correct understanding. D. Sugary beverages increase caloric intake, insulin resistance, and weight gain, all of which worsen hypertension. They do not provide beneficial cardiovascular effects and are discouraged in dietary management of blood pressure.