The yogurt section is shown at a Whole Foods Market.

There’s yogurt made from sheep’s milk, goat’s milk, coconut milk, rice milk and soy milk.

There’s Icelandic, Greek, and some thickened with gelatin.

Some have active cultures, added fiber, added whey protein, less fat or less sugar. We taste-tested lots of yogurts. Check out the surprising results

Yogurt, long recognized as a healthy food, is made by adding bacterial cultures to milk. “Yogurt helps regulate your digestive system,” says Vivian Tocci, a dietician at Jupiter Medical Center. It’s also a good source of protein, calcium, Vitamin D and probiotics, or beneficial microorganisms.

“Many people who are lactose intolerant can eat yogurt because the lactose has already been broken down,” Tocci noted.

When choosing a yogurt, she suggests, stick with the same fat content as the milk you drink, be it fat-free, 2 percent or whole milk.

“When Whole Foods Market opened in Florida, our yogurt selection was mostly cow milk-based yogurts,” said Lauren Belinsky, spokeswoman for Whole Foods Market in Wellington.

“But now, to satisfy the needs of our customers’ expanding taste for diverse and authentic yogurts, we have incorporated Greek and Australian styles, brown rice, soy, and coconut-based yogurts.”

Veronica Nestora of Palm Beach prefers Greek yogurt.

“It is the king of yogurts,” says the woman of Greek ancestry. “It is the most substantial, fresh, delicious, healthy one.”

Back in her native land, her Greek countrymen like their yogurt with honey, cherry jam or fresh fruit. “It is magical,” she enthuses.

Sales have been magical as well. Sales of yogurt have grown 10 percent per year for the past 30 years, meaning that consumption has doubled every 7.2 years, according to Time magazine.

Yogurt …

Is a good source of protein. An average 8-oz. serving contains between 8 and 10 grams of protein.

Is nutrient dense and a good source of calcium. One serving can provide up to 35 percent of the recommended daily intake. Boosts the immune system. Experts are studying how yogurt may lower cholesterol and how it may combat certain types of cancer-causing compounds, especially in the digestive tract.

May help people who are lactose intolerant improve lactose absorption.

Source: The National Yogurt Association