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Consumer Reports calls them the dirty dozen: 12 dangerous ingredients in dietary supplements they say the Food and Drug Administration has not done enough to keep out of consumers’ pill bottles. But some skeptics say reaction to the article has been overblown.

We’re analyzing coverage of the magazine’s claims and the debate they've sparked from NBC, ABC, USA Today and CBS.

The Today Show lists the questionable ingredients, and Consumer Reports’ Nancy Metcalf explains the health problems they can cause.

“This is the dirty dozen: aconite, bitter orange, chaparral, colloidal silver, coltsfoot, comfrey, country mallow, germanium, greater celandine, kava, lobelia and yohimbe.”

“These are side effects that are known from case reports or clinical studies, and they’re serious ones: liver failure, kidney failure, heart attack, heart arhythmias, strokes.”

The FDA has limited authority to ban supplements or pull them once they become available to consumers. Supplements are classified as food, not drugs, and ABC news explains how relaxed laws about marketing them has led to their widespread availability.

“It’s easy to find these 12 products on the Internet or in the stores, but here’s something you should know: Supplements do not need to prove they are safe and effective before they are sold, and Congress has made it tough for the FDA to pull them once they’re on the market.”

But the fact that dangerous supplements are available doesn’t mean people are using them. Council for Responsible Nutrition CEO Steve Mister tells USA Today that reaction to the Consumer Reports’ findings are overblown, saying it:

“...implicates the entire aisle of mainstream dietary supplements based on 12 ingredients that combined make up less than 1 percent of the marketplace.”

Regardless of how widespread these 12 ingredients are, there are ways to be sure you’re not taking them. Dr. Jennifer Ashton explains on CBS News how consumers can check the safety of any supplements they are taking.

“One is to look for a USP seal, which represents an independent, nonprofit organization that verifies a supplement’s quality and purity, and the second thing is for patients and doctors alike to educate themselves with sources like this one, which is just like the one that doctors use for prescription medication. And lastly, Katie, always discuss any supplements you’re taking with your doctor because they can definitely interact with regular medication.”

The article will appear in Consumer Reports’ September issue. But what do you think? Is the FDA doing enough to keep consumers safe from dangerous supplements? Or should it be up to consumers to take more responsibility to make sure the supplements they take are safe?