 This aim of this study is to investigate the prebiotic potential of date fruit consumption in healthy human volunteers compared to a diet which does not contain dates; control maltodextrin-dextrose, 40.2g or intervention treatment 7 date fruits 50g to 22 healthy human volunteers. Each arm was 21 days in duration, separated by a 14 days washout period. Thus, we will also address fundamental questions about the relationship between fermentation of non digestible carbohydrates, the gut microbiota and the changes in faecal short chain fatty acids SCFA profiles, ammonia and bile acids. To this end faecal samples, and blood samples will be collected from each volunteer and high resolution analytical techniques High Performance Liquid Chromatography; Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance will be employed to characterise the whole system metabolic response to ingestion of date fruits compared to the control. Changes in microbial parameters and metabolite profiles will be correlated with changes in biomarkers of chronic disease, including faecal water genotoxicity, cellular reactions, blood lipids and bowel movements. 