The present invention relates to use of a composition comprising D-glyceric acid (DGA), DL-glyceric acid, L-glyceric acid, or hydroxypyruvatic acid and/or their salts or esters. Further, the invention relates to the use of said composition for enhancing direct and indirect mitochondrial metabolism, e.g. the ATP producing electron transport system (ETS), citric acid cycle or tricarboxylic acid cycle, (TCA), and beta oxidation, and also enhancing the shuttling of reducing equivalents from mitochondrial matrix into the cytosol and protein synthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum. Directly related to the above the use of DGA relates also to reducing the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Alleviating, preventing and even healing effects towards extremely wide range of non-communicable diseases materializes.