As we wrap up the 24th series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, it’s hard not to reflect on what these contestants have put themselves through.
Viewers might be glued to the screen, marvelling at the Bushtucker Trials and the offbeat jungle diet, but the reality is that this extreme culinary circus can pack quite a punch to one’s insides.
Watching the celebrities chew through unfamiliar critters and extraordinarily pungent delicacies has had me thinking during this series—just how are their guts holding up?
Beyond the spectacle of witchetty grubs and fermented oddities, the real intrigue lies in what happens to the body’s internal ecosystem when it’s fed a diet that would make most of us recoil.
Adrienne Benjamin, a gut health expert and nutritionist at ProVen Biotics, provides a glimpse into the digestive chaos lurking behind the camera’s lens.
She understands that while these daring food challenges make for eye-catching TV, they can also force the gut into uncharted territory.
The jungle diet
“The sudden shift to an unusual diet of unfamiliar foods, limited calories, and minimal variety can put strain on the gut,” says Adrienne. “Our gut microbiome thrives on a diverse range of nutrients, and the restrictive jungle diet lacks the variety needed to support healthy bacteria.”
The jungle diet is extremely different from what most of us eat at home and, whilst it might be devoid of the junk foods that are available in the outside world, the celebrities’ guts may struggle to adapt, potentially leading to uncomfortable symptoms. Adrienne breaks down the key dietary components and their impact on the digestive system:
Rice and beans:
While rice and beans are a good source of energy and protein, this repetitive diet lacks the variety of nutrients needed to support a healthy gut microbiome.
“Our gut bacteria thrive on diversity,” Adrienne explains. “A repetitive diet could potentially impact bacterial balance and lead to symptoms like bloating or irregular bowel movements.”
Additionally, the high fibre content of beans can be challenging for those not used to consuming them regularly. “Beans contain complex carbohydrates which are fermented for food by certain strains of bacteria in the gut, if an individual is lacking specific bacteria species, these carbohydrates may remain undigested, which may lead to gas and bloating, particularly when eaten in large quantities or as the only source of fibre,” says Adrienne.
Bugs, grubs, and insects
Insects may contain some protein or fat, but are not a normal source of nutrition for most people and may not be broken down in the same way as the foods that our body is familiar with digesting.
“The gut may react to unfamiliar proteins with temporary discomfort such as cramping or diarrhoea,” Adrienne notes.
“There is some evidence that certain insects may contain compounds that can act as prebiotics, but again, it is unclear if these are able to be used as food by human gut bacteria and they may simply pass through the gut undigested.”
Fermented and unusual foods
“Whilst fermented foods, such as sauerkraut and live yoghurt, are generally considered supportive of the gut microbiome as they contain lots of natural bacteria, fermented fish and fermented fish eggs are generally not part of a standard diet and may not contain bacteria native to our microbiome.
However, these foods are still eaten in some cultures (such as fermented fish called surstromming in Sweden) and are unlikely to cause any long-term effects – even if they are stinky and difficult to ingest.” says Adrienne.
Minimal fresh produce
The jungle diet can be low in fresh fruits and vegetables, which are vital sources of vitamins, minerals and fibre that support gut health – particularly if the contestants are not winning stars so they have to rely on rice and beans (as was the case at the start of this series.
“The lack of these nutrient-rich foods can impact the balance of gut bacteria, which in turn can impact other bodily systems such as energy and immunity,” Adrienne warns.
Stress and the Gut Connection
“The Bushtucker Trials are designed to include eating creatures and body parts that might be difficult for our minds and bodies to digest.
As a result, they aren’t just about eating—they’re about overcoming fear and performing under pressure, as well as often over-riding the gag reflex and severe nausea and disgust” Adrienne continues.
“As stress can directly impact gut function, this can also lead to symptoms as the contestants’ bodies try to expel the ‘foods’ they have forced themselves to eat both physically and mentally.”.”
The road to recovery
After weeks of jungle living, Adrienne says restoring gut health will be key for contestants. “Post-jungle, I’d recommend focusing on slowly introducing a wider variety of foods and nutrients, including lots of different fruits and vegetables and essential fats, found in oily fish, nuts and seeds. I would also suggest taking a quality probiotic to help rebalance the gut microbiome.”
Whilst it will be really tempting for contestants to immediately eat all the foods they have been missing, including foods containing lots of sugar and fat, in high quantities, Adrienne recommends easing into new foods to help avoid shocking the system with unfamiliar ingredients straight away.
While the celebrities may have left the jungle behind after the 24th series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, their microbiomes could still use some star treatment. They might want themselves to check out scientifically backed solutions like ProVen Biotics to help restore their gut health.