Enzymes are a type of catalyst, which means they speed up chemical reactions. In the case of digestive enzymes, they speed up the digestion or breaking down of food into nutritional components such as fatty acids, amino acids, sugars, vitamins and minerals. When the organs that produce digestive enzymes are not producing sufficient quantities, a supplemental form of digestive enzymes may be needed for proper digestion to occur. Some metabolic disorders involve the lack of a certain enzyme needed for processing or metabolizing specific food components.