Feeling Tired? How to Support Energy Levels and Cellular Energy

Short-term low energy and fatigue is one of the most common complaints of Australians who visit a health professional, and it is rarely driven by a single factor.

It can be a side effect of prescription drugs, or due to medical conditions like depression and sleep apnoea.

Interestingly, research now suggests that lowered energy levels are not just about factors that are input to the body(such as poor diet, high stress, environmental toxins), but about how efficiently – or not – the body actually produces and manages energy at a cellular level.

Central to this process of generating sufficient energy is a coenzyme called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+).

This is essential for mitochondrial production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which drives energy processes throughout all the body’s cells, as well as controlling metabolic balance and cellular repair.

Unfortunately, NAD+ levels decline naturally with age and exposure to physiological stress. However, the good news is that supplementing with key herbal medicines, in conjunction with a special nutrient which is a NAD+ precursor, will help restore energy.

Let’s take a closer look at these three and how they can make a significant difference to your energy levels.

This is a well-researched precursor to NAD⁺ and a bioavailable form of vitamin B₃. Once absorbed, NR is taken up into cells and converted into NAD⁺.

This helps maintain cellular energy production in a targeted way: rather than providing a temporary energy boost, it improves energy output over time by increasing the body’s own mitochondrial efficiency.

Clinical research consistently shows that NR increases NAD⁺ levels in humans, thus addressing age-related energy decline, stress-related fatigue, and reduced metabolic resilience.

This is one of the best herbal medicines for supporting energy and vitality. Its active compounds, ginsenosides, influence key pathways involved in mitochondrial function and stress adaptation.

Ginseng enhances ATP production and supports NAD⁺-dependent enzymes such as SIRT1, which improves energy utilisation and increases resilience to physical and mental stress.

Korean ginseng is particularly suited to people experiencing fatigue associated with stress, burnout or reduced stamina. Its effects are gradual and restorative, helping rebuild sustained energy reserves.

Traditionally used to support vitality and longevity, reishi is an adaptogen that helps regulate energy over time. By helping to reduce oxidative stress and support mitochondrial integrity, reishi promotes more stable, sustained energy.

It is well suited to people experiencing ongoing chronic stress-related fatigue, as it supports a more balanced, long-term improvement in energy rather than fast-acting stimulation.

The combination of a NAD+ precursor, such as NR, and adaptogenic herbs like Korean ginseng and reishi improves cellular energy production as well as adaptation to stress. It therefore results in a more sustainable improvement in energy, by addressing not just energy output but the broader drivers of fatigue.