Myth 1: Eating red meat is a direct route to dementia. Myth buster: If the word “processed” were in there before “red meat,” that statement would be a lot closer to true. The study earlier this year that rang major alarm bells mainly came down on processed red meat, which includes hot dogs, salami, sausage, bologna, and bacon. Myth 2: You should avoid all processed foods. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines as “processed” any foods altered from their natural state—even by freezing, dicing, and heating.