Advocates of expanding federal funding for embryonic stem cell research point to the notion that their properties may hold the cure for Parkinson’s disease—a progressive disorder of the central nervous that afflicts approximately 1 million people in the United States alone, and an additional 50,000 diagnoses made each year.

While the ethical argument continues to swirl around embryonic stem cells and their use, new research indicates that vitamin B6 can help reduce the risk of acquiring Parkinson’s.

The study was conducted by a set of Dutch researchers out of the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam who followed the dietary habits of 5,289 men and women for 10 years. The researchers focused their attention on whether an increased consumption of folate, vitamin B6 and B12 could reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease, similar to how they reduce homocysteine levels—an amino acid that can damage brain cells when consumed in excess.

No one among the 5,000+ participants had Parkinson’s disease at the study’s outset but by the 10-year mark, 72 people had acquired it. And based on the researcher’s analysis of those who’d acquired it and those who hadn’t, the consumption of folate and vitamin B12 played no role in the development of Parkinson’s. But when they looked at the numbers for vitamin B6 consumption, the highest third of vitamin B6 intake were 54 percent less likely to develop the disease, compared to the lowest third of vitamin B6 consumption.

Researchers say that while the triumvirate of vitamins has been shown to diminish high levels of homocysteine, that’s not why vitamin B6 plays a role in warding off Parkinson’s disease. They theorize that the protective properties of vitamin B6 serves as a shield to harmful free radicals, by-products of metabolism that our body naturally produces.

More studies are planned on these findings, which are published in the journal Neurology, to determine why vitamin B6 plays the role it does, particularly among those who smoke (amazingly, according to their research, the findings were most significant for those who had a history of smoking).

So what foods have vitamin B6? Fortunately, vitamin B6 is one of the more ubiquitous vitamins found in foods, but some foods are healthier and more abundant than in others:

Potatoes—Among the bevy of quality nutrients the almighty potato contains vitamin B6. A small portion of a baked potato (about a cup) provides 21 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin B6, which is approximately 1.5 milligrams for adults 14-50 years of age)

Tuna—One of the more densely-packed foods with B6, four ounces of tuna contains 59 percent of the recommended vitamin B6 consumption

Spinach—Popeye was really on to something by popping open a can of spinach to save Olive Oil from the deplorable Brutus. Spinach contains .44 mg of vitamin B6 (22 percent of daily recommended intake) in one cup.

Garlic—It won’t do much for your breath, but peppering your dishes with an ounce of garlic brings .33 mg of vitamin B6 to your daily allotment.

Banana—Peel back this fruit for a rich source of energy, potassium and vitamin B6—0.68 mg per banana (34 percent of daily recommended intake).

This is a partial list of the bevy of quality fruits, vegetables and lean meats that have rich amounts vitamin B6. These five are some of the world’s healthiest foods you can eat in terms of nutrient density, according to World’s Healthiest Foods, which you can learn more about at http://www.whfoods.org.