Gut Microbiota–Ferroptosis Crosstalk and Dietary Intervention Strategies

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of cell death closely linked to intestinal homeostasis, nutritional metabolism, and food-related health. The gut microbiota functions as a key bridge connecting dietary intake, metabolite production, and host ferroptosis regulation, though the bidirectional crosstalk and metabolite-mediated signaling mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This review critically examines emerging interactions between gut microbiota and ferroptosis, with particular emphasis on microbe-derived metabolites and dietary interventions. We distinguish direct ferroptosis evidence from ferroptosis-associated findings and discuss the strength of current mechanistic, preclinical, and human evidence. Particular attention is given to context-dependent effects of microbial metabolites and the translational potential of microbiota-targeted nutritional strategies. Collectively, current evidence supports an emerging microbiota–metabolite–ferroptosis framework, although many proposed causal pathways remain to be validated experimentally and in humans.