The product's cheesy name and its sad-sack "diet queen to the stars" spokeswoman should have immediately clued in Vikings defensive tackles Kevin and Pat Williams that StarCaps weight loss supplements were something to avoid. Instead, the football players apparently succumbed to a too-good-to-be-true pitch -- "a rare blend of papaya and garlic ... to melt off 10-125 pounds" -- from a type of product that exists in a regulatory twilight zone. StarCaps was clearly intended to treat obesity, but because it's an over-the-counter dietary supplement -- essentially it's a food, not a drug -- its manufacturer didn't have to provide the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with scientific proof of its purity, safety or effectiveness before marketing it.

The Williamses, the Vikings and fans around the state are now watching the consequences play out in a drama that should give pause to the millions of consumers who use these products each day. It turns out that the players' StarCaps were tainted with a potent prescription diuretic called Bumex that wasn't listed on the label. Bumex can mask the presence of anabolic steroids in the body, which is why the drug is on the National Football League's list of banned substances. Neither player tested positive for steroids. Both are now fighting a four-game suspension.

The controversy over that punishment and whether the NFL warned players about StarCaps misses the broader consumer issue here -- the risks inherent in self-medicating with supplements, a lightly regulated $22 billion industry. An estimated 64 percent of American adults take a supplement daily -- from a multivitamin to more exotic remedies like horny goat weed. The safety of what they swallow rests with the product manufacturer and its supply chain; the FDA generally steps in after a problem has been reported. Andrew Shao of the industry group Council for Responsible Nutrition argues that the current regulatory system works fine and that the vast majority of supplement manufacturers sell safe, high-quality products. In addition, he said, a recent move by the FDA to establish good manufacturing processes for supplement makers further strengthens quality and safety.

Millions of Americans do use these products safely each year. But the Williams case illustrates that there are still unscrupulous manufacturers able to put tainted goods on the market, and consumers need to take care in choosing and using supplements. Since 2007, more than 50 supplements contaminated with everything from undisclosed prescription drugs to bacteria have been the subject of FDA actions or warnings. Twenty-six so-called men's enhancement products contained a Viagra-like compound. A "natural remedy" for weight-loss contained the same active ingredient found in the prescription diet drug Meridia.

Side effects and drug interactions are a real risk. In this case, taking StarCaps may have been especially dangerous for the Williamses. Bumex could have increased their risk of dehydration and heat stroke, a real issue given that training camp takes place during some of the hottest weeks of the summer. The Vikings' Korey Stringer was felled by this deadly combination during practice in 2001. Hopefully, the Williamses will consult health professionals in the future for guidance about supplements' effectiveness, their potential side effects and which brands can be trusted. That's a winning strategy for their teammates and fans, too.