Intermittent Fasting: A Path to Reducing Obesity-Driven Mitochondrial and Gut Barrier Dysfunction to Improve Gut-Brain Axis.

Intermittent fasting confers multiple health benefits, including improved metabolic regulation, reduced inflammation, enhanced cellular repair, weight management, and better insulin sensitivity, ultimately promoting overall health and disease prevention. This review highlights the mechanisms by which intermittent fasting mitigates obesity-induced oxidative stress, preserves gut barrier integrity, and modulates the gut-brain axis. It further emphasizes the critical roles of the gut microbiota and their metabolites and their impact on mitochondrial functions, along with emerging ferroptotic mechanisms, in mediating these effects.