Experts caution over cinnabar use

Experts in traditional Chinese medicine are calling for caution over the use of some products that contain cinnabar, or mercury sulfide.

A Sina Weibo user verified as a doctor at Beijing's Jishuitan Hospital wrote that 86 prescriptions of medicine developed by Tongrentang, a leading TCM maker, contain cinnabar.

The mercury content in the chemical can build up in the human body over time and cause damage to organs, including the kidneys, and the nervous system.