Yogurt that contains “active cultures” like acidophilus is one of the best-known sources of "probiotics," a term that describes foods and supplements containing microorganisms that are beneficial to the gastrointestinal tract. We all know that probiotics are sometimes called "friendly" bacteria because they help to replenish good microorganisms and inhibit the growth of harmful ones but did you know that yogurt can help in a wide range of other ways:

Nutritional benefits of yogurt

1. It is rich in protein (8 grams per cup)
2. It is good source of calcium (plain yogurt has 400 mg per cup - more than one cup of skimmed milk)
3. It contains as much potassium as a banana
4. It is an excellent source of the B vitamin riboflavin
5. It can decrease your likelihood of getting a peptic ulcer and can relieve the symptoms
6. It improves lactose digestion (the carbohydrate in dairy products) by aiding production of the enzyme lactase
7. It can protect against diarrhoea
8. It is helpful in strengthening the immune system
9. It decreases your cholesterol
10. If you've been on an antibiotic for a while, yogurt can help to rebalance the good and bad bacteria in your colon. That's the reason it can have a laxative effective, but still relieve diarrhoea.

Plus:

It may help reduce risk of colon and breast cancer by improving our immune system defences.  It also may make you more resistant to dysentery, an intestinal illness, and the flu.

Israeli research found that when yogurt was given to arthritic rats it lessened symptoms producing a “remarkable, curative effect”.

And finally, research in Tennessee found that obese people who added three servings of low fat yogurt daily to their diets lost 22% more weight and 61% more body fat than did non‑yogurt eaters.