Kava… It’s popping up on coffee shops and bar menus across the country. Some swear that it helps them relax and can alleviate their anxiety. But does it work and what do experts think about this trend?

LX News Storyteller Ngozi Ekeledo went in search of Kava. Checkout what she found.

Kava, made from a plant in the pepper family, is a ceremonial drink on islands of the South Pacific. Over the past few decades, more spots where you can drink kava have opened up across the U.S. LX News storyteller Ngozi Ekeledo visited the bar Kava Social in Brooklyn to hear more about the nonalcoholic drink.

Consumed as a restorative tea for centuries throughout the South Pacific, calming kava has become the summer's hottest non-alcoholic mixer.

How a tea from the South Pacific that elicits mild psychoactive effects has taken root in the borough