On his Magnesium page Dr Gupta promotes this chelate. If we buy there he receives a commission
Is this a conflict of interest since he does push magnesium quite hard
I hope I have misunderstood. He seems such a decent guy and I am a bit disappointed.
Hi Pilgrim 
I feel Dr Gupta recommends that particular type of Magnesium Taurate because people kept asking him which kind to take and he believes it is the most suited to those with AF . The fact he receives commission (if he does) is incidental to me.
Dr Gupta has taken a considerable amount of time to make a large number of AF related videos (look on Youtube ) and to host live question and answer sessions on Social media for people with AF.
I am grateful to him for taking so much time and trouble to help and advise people with AF , I have found his help immeasurable.
Hi doodle68🙂
On the video thing, me too.
Also, when some caution against going to a carpet shop to find out about carpets in the matter of seeing an EP, I would be cautious of talking to a tied financial adviser. I don't understand why Dr Gupta is endorsing a product which benefits him financially. For me that undermines his credibility somewhat in advocating for Mg which in this version is the most expensive available, though others are not concerned.
For the huge majority of those with AF who are not able to evaluate the science, and possibly feel anxious and alone, Dr Gupta will represent the kindly doctor no longer easily available to them. They will trust him to tell them the right thing to do, and I'm not implying that he doesn't, but for me I equally feel the need to counter weak science when I suspect it. We can't add magnesium to our water supply based on speculation.
I'm sure Dr Gupta knows the science to back himself up, it's just that I can't find it.
I will be happy to take Mg again when and if I believe the benefit/ risk ratio is clearer
I have no problem with him suggesting a certain type or brand of magnesium especially as he has been asked numerous times what he recommends. We are a!l able to make our own decisions, do our own research and act accordingly.
Thank you Meadfoot. Like you I have extensively researched the available research on Mg. To date I have not found a single double blind prospective controlled trial of the benefits of Mg in any health condition.
Plenty of observational data and speculation yes. These tend not to impress public health physicians and epidemiologists.
It you are indeed taking Mg, could you share with us the particular research that persuaded you to take this potententially dangerous mineral which is recommended against by N.I.C.E. for most healthy people.
I see you have just amended your original response to me. I do not take magnesium and have not personally contemplated taking it. I am neither for nor against it. My highly regarded EP would be my guide if I asked him his opinion which I havent.
My point was that people would do their own research before taking it.
Your approach sounds very reasonable. There is no strong scientific evidence that Magnesium is beneficial for arrhythmias. Usually a normal diet provides all the minerals you need and taking too much can be very dangerous.
Ah a brother/sister in arms perhaps ? Or at least someone with a background in the sciences?
My EP said that he and his wife had been discussing this but felt that the jury is still out on the subject and said it would be years before there is fact based evidence about its benefits. He said that many of his patients take it but if trying it to gradually build up the dosage to avoid getting the runs.
How many can do the required research though? Most of us will take advice from our doctor if we trust her, as you imply
Pilgrim, how long have you known of Dr Gupta? You only joined this forum a few days ago. This man is truly a saint and gives his time freely to advise people with AF. Please stop making assumptions as to his character, a lot of forum members on here have followed him for a long time and have nothing but respect for him. I'm finding your hints of criticism offensive.
Hi Jean Jeanne , we have to respect everyone's opinions, we don't want to go to far to the left "communist " we have to remain central , I may not agree with plagrim3 but I would die defending her right to say it .
Jeanjeannie50
I have known of him for many years. He trained in my part of the world. His reputation among NHS scientists and medics precedes him. He is a first class physician, a generous and empathic man, a wonderful communicator and a very talented photographer.
I'm sorry for any offence taken where none was intended
Pilgrim
Sanjay Gupta is a friend of mine which is why I didn't take kindly to your post. I felt a bit the way we would if someone had criticised one of our children. I think he is quite uniquely a truly caring person without a bad bone in his body and I can tell you that I will always be ready to jump to his defense.
jeanjeannie50
And rightly so. I would do the same.
I respect you as a lovely woman, kind , generous, empathic and supportive; the backbone and beating heart of this forum.
And no, I have been here for some years, albeit in different guises for personal reasons.
And Sanjay: a lovely man but I worry for him when he shoots from the hip sometimes
We two are on the same side, well at least I am, so I suppose you must be 🙂
Namaste
I see you are in the habit of changing your original responses Pilgrim, that's really not the honourable thing to do.
Not so Jeanjeannie50
My sight is poor now and I struggle with the app on my smartphone. I no longer have the required dexterity and mental agility required. and for some reason the app keeps deleting posts as I try to edit them for clarity, punctuation etc It'easier now I am back home on my giant in comparison monitor.
I don't believe I am a dishonourable person and I am saddened that you should feel that way.
I wonder how many on here have had a Web Cam or telephone consultation with him ?
Seasider18
Thank you for highlighting that.
I would be interested in talking to him about my very troublesome ectopics.
I would be grateful if someone could advise about his current rates for private consultation that way. Also will he advise the Gp of treatment and/or investigation or is he able tohe ato follow us at York District on the NHS?
If nothing transpires, I will ring his secretary and advise on this here
Do you live near York? Most private consultations whoever with are in the £250 region plus tests.
I have had a telephone consultation with him, and I am extremely grateful that he makes himself available in this way. The pricing details are available for all to see on his website, and I was extremely surprised and delighted that they were far more affordable than you would expect. Certainly, the price (amongst other things) indicates to me that this is a man who cares about his patients and his subject, far more than he cares about his bank balance. I needed to speak to someone after two emergency hospital admissions where I was told that my life was in immediate danger. Despite this, my questions in hospital were met with contradictory responses, and I did not have an adequate understanding of what was going on with me at all. Add to that, the fact that i was horribly symptomatic after discharge, the consultation was a Godsend. On to the second relevant subject - magnesium supps. Having already seen his videos I had decided that I had nothing to lose and all to gain, by trying them. I did, and within a week, the improvement was phenomenal. I like to think that I'm not unintelligent, and for me, trying the magnesium was a no brainer, although for some, I can accept it will not be as clear cut.
One thing I will say, is that if there isn't a huge profit in it for someone, there won't ever be the studies to adequately evaluate such supplements. Cannabis instantly springs to mind...
Hi Pilgrim
I found your post interesting and informative. Thanks
J (-:
Hi Globe-J
Thank you. Hope you are back to full fitness now and breaking PBs again.
Are you still pleased with the results of your open cox/maze?
Hi Pilgrim,
Yes, I am happy, thus far. According to the Kardia app, my pulse has been constantly ‘Normal’ as opposed to the pre-op. readings: AF 70% of the time. So, I understand my chance of an AF induced stroke has also been reduced.
Alas, my fitness level needs more work.
Best of luck
J (-:
Dr Gupta makes no secret of the fact that he gains (I guess a small) commission if people buy the magnesium he recommends on Amazon. As already said, that was because he was constantly being asked what he recommended. Also, I notice that since he became aware of the recent and rapid increase in price of the Magnesium Taurate he was recommending he is now giving the names of alternative magnesium compounds - and I don't think he is mentioning specific brands.
Given that he gives so freely of his time and expertise both on Facebook where he answers people's questions in Live Chat sessions and on You Tube where he regularly posts videos (very helpful they are too) I don't see any problem.
I don't doubt that your question was a genuine one, Hidden , but inevitably you have ruffled a few feathers here since he is held in high regard by many members of this Forum. No need for you to be disappointed in him I feel sure. I'm confident that his sole desire is to educate and help people with AF.
Edited to say ......
You might also look at it this way ..... does he charge for the advice he gives on You Tube and Facebook chats? No. Could he just advertise the fact that he is available for private consultations - and earn a fat fee? Yes, but he doesn't. That is what really counts in my opinion.
You seem to have missed the point that he does say that other products are available and if you find one cheaper to let him know. This does not sound like a conflict of interest to me.
BobD
We may be coming at this from a different starting point. A scientist looking for evidence to support claims of clinically effective interventions will never be swayed by unsubstantiated statements.
At 4.07 minutes in this video there is is a popup "Click here for more about which type of magnesium is best for the heart" which takes you to SGs website and an advert for a product advertised there at £39 for 180 caps 125 mgs Mg Taurate , 90 days supply. I am unaware of scientific trials to support the statement that Mg Taurate is superior to much cheaper varieties available, but I hope someone will give me a heads up.
I have come to this site in the spirit of enquiry. I too have learned much from Dr Gupta, but I reserve my right to look for objective evidence in my field of healthcare, particularly when Dr Gupta's delivery is so persuasive. I appreciate however that this video has a different target audience.
You may find it instructive to listen to a video of his that you have not seen, with the picture turned off. Attention is then focused on the commentary, and not influenced so much by presentation.
That spirit of enquiry has been rekindled by the responses in this thread and after talking to former colleagues and looking more closely at the literature, I hope to have more to say on this subject at a later date.
Scientific truths can be inconvenient, many have died for asserting them.
To be honest I have for many years warned people about taking supplements without discussion with their medical team. (You can see this if you look back over the last eight or nine years of the forum. )
There are a few top doctors (EPs) who I know and respect and all have their own views. I tend to cherry pick the ones which I feel appropriate for each set of circumstances as nothing in this world is certain and as I am sure that you already know, "FACTS" have a finite life of approximately ten years or less such is progress.
He also runs a a Wellness Company - you will see that blurred out on his videos on this forum but openly advertises on YouTube. I think we need to get used to the idea that UK doctors can also have business interests.
I also believe that his intent is to promote health and he alone is doing more for helping people self manage their health than anyone else I know on social media - instead of just handing out drugs in an NHS Clinic - so I don’t see that as a conflict of interest - good on him I say!
Pilgrim
I get where your coming from. The doc is giving advice on what tablet to take. In his latest video he does say his recommendation IS getting too expensive and in his latest videos he’s offering other types to take instead. He could well have left that info out of his web page (that he gets a small percentage) if you click on his page for that product, but at least he’s being honest about it.
There’s a lot he does for us and no doubt you’ll get some sharp answers back. Without his free knowledge and advice I’d be a lot dumber on this subject. Personally he’s worth a lot more simply because he helps so many of us. I hope people go easy on you and your concerns.
After all - it was a doctor who set up HU - is that a conflict of interest?
CD
Not at all. HU was tipped in 2014 as one of 200 UK start ups likely to break the £1 billion mark as a company., the medical equivalent of Facebook perhaps. I have no issue with public/private partnerships though Carillions demise is a concern. How would we feel if venture capitalists bought HU (which has to be on the cards someday) eventually and asset stripped it?
HU has yet to publish accounts - registered as a private company in UK only in 2017 - due to publish accounts in Mar 2019. Prior to this it was backed by private venture, I believe by US investor. See my post of a few days ago re history.
He is open about his commission and when I told him I had found the same brand cheaper elsewhere he did not mind at all. ( Incidentally I use magnesium spray as I have diet which should be high in mg anyway). This guy is a fountain of knowledge and the fact he is also involved in wellness on line business is neither here nor there.
He is prepared to stick his neck out on occasions and I do not think his genuine altruism should conflict with earning a good living by other means.
There are HU sites where people get ‘hammered’ for expressing a view. I have never seen that here and hope not to.
May I ask what the good Doc recommends now, or a link to his vid, cheers.
If you use the link in the OP, you should find the rest in time.
People who take too much of the good stuff, like Magnesium or Potassium can get into serious trouble, like dangerous arrhythmias. Eating a normal diet usually provides the necessary amounts of minerals and vitamins needed by the body. You doctor will alert you if you are dangerously low in certain nutrients. Dr. Gupta offers his own opinion and since you’re not under his direct care, you should take it an an opinion only and not as a prescription.
tachp
Thank you, I took Magnesium for a while without informing my GP when I started with frequent ectopics and stopped a month later when they became a lot worse. I accept of course there may be no causal connection.
Have you had the opportunity to watch some of Dr Sanjay Gupta's marvellously informative videos? have you formed any impression of whether we can completely rely on all his advice as so many here possibly do? The problem is that he is so obviously super intelligent, charismatic, an amazing communicator, hugely generous and empathic and according to my wife, devilishly handsome. He would/will make a first class TV doctor in time should he chose to go down that route. And that's not to mention his award winning photographic skills.
I think the Dept of Health should hire him to persuade us all to cast off our fears of Statins because he is very big on inflammation and vascular disease and of course Statins are effective anti-inflammatories which will hopefully in time find acceptance in other areas like dementia, vascular or otherwise.
You can see I am a huge fan, I have learned a lot from him in the last year or so. But I just need a little more to persuade me to dive in and join everyone else.
Oh and he is not Sanjay Gupta so famous in the US, are you there perhaps? Ours is much cleverer and based in York England
I take Magnesium Taurate based on my own research which leads me to be believe that a deficiency of Magnesium may contribute to various heart conditions. As I eat a diet rich in Magnesium but not the RDA of 320mg I do not take the recommended daily dose of the supplement I take but half of it as a top up so am unlikely to take too much .
I don't take the specific supplement Dr Gupta recommends but a different one which costs less but I was glad of his input on the subject which confirms much of that which I have read . We are all adults here and will form our own opinions, mine is that I am wise to top up my magnesium and even if it doesn't help my heart condition it is unlikely to do me any harm .
That's assuming we haven't choked to death on Mag Citrate 400 which is huge (-:
And I agree with you about being adults but if we don't have the ability perhaps to weigh up all the evidence, we tend to rely on our doctors. A lot of the time they seem to disagree anyway.
And then perhaps it becomes a matter of trust, which in a way is where I came in.
I fully agree with your comment.They are in it to make money.I am not a big fan of Dr Gupta.
The best form of Magnesium to take orally is Magnesium Glycinate .This I magnesium attached to the amino acid Glycine which is easily absorbed in the lower gut.Try it my friend.
Keep well.
KA
Are you sure about that. I can,t believe a highly paid consultant would delve into advertising.
If he does perhaps he gives it to charity.
Chap16
I am no longer sure about anything. As the great man said
"Ah, I was older then, I'm younger than that now"
And Dr Gupta?
Instinctively, I warm to him. I think it may be unwise of him to lay himself open to what in my opinion is justifiable criticisms of his occasional dogmatic statements and some might argue his marketing strategy.
But like CD and others have said, overall he is a huge force for good and I expect he is far too busy saving lives, to pay attention to marketing pop ups on old videos. It's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture.
Let's move on
Dr Sajay Gupta nomination
Dr Sanjay Gupta
Dr Sanjay Gupta
