The term organic has become so commonplace that we rarely consider what it means or what it symbolizes to the American consumer.

The term comes bearing a certain promise outlined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture , but have we wrongly translated organic from grown without pesticides to more nutritious and delicious?

If someone were to ask why you threw organic tomatoes into your basket at the store, you might respond that organic is safer for you and your family. If pressed, factors like taste, texture and nutrition might also pop up in the discussion. But is that even correct?

A 2016 Pew Research Center study discovered the main reason people buy organic is health (76%), but nearly one-third of respondents (32%) said that organic produce tastes better. A significant proportion (59%) of people, however, stated that organic and conventional food tastes about the same.

Its possible those beliefs are misguided.

First of all, what exactly is organic?

The USDA establishes several criteria for something to be called organic. To merit the distinction, produce must not be grown in soil that has contained prohibited substances (most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides) for three years.

Organic food must also be without artificial preservatives, colors or flavors, and its required that their ingredients are organic, with some minor exceptions.

Just reading these few guidelines might cause you to believe that organic could very well have further benefits in the realm of nutrition and/or taste.

Organic produce does have certain nutritional benefits

Debate persists as to the breadth of organics superiority when it comes to nutrition. The benefits of organic produce stem from the natural defense mechanism of your delicious fruit or vegetable.

Organic food is more nutritious than non-organic food, but not in the way that you might think, said nutritionist and proponent of the Candida Diet , Lisa Richards. Studies have not shown that organic food consistently has more vitamins or minerals than non-organic food. However, organic food does have significantly higher levels of antioxidants.