Why Nativity Scene Shepherds Sometimes Have Goiter : Shots – Health News : NPR

Shepherds in Christmas Nativity scenes that were painted, carved or sculpted hundreds of years ago sometimes have throats with large, abnormal growths.

These are realistic depictions of goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland caused by iodine deficiency. The condition was common in those days in northern Italy, where the soil and water are depleted of iodine.

“Goiter is more often seen in poor people,” says retired surgeon Renzo Dionigi of the University of Insubria in Varese, Italy, who notes that the working classes in this region would historically not have a varied diet that might supply this vital nutrient.

via www.npr.org

Now they’d probably boast MAGA hats.