Objective To compare the therapeutic effects of early enteral nutrition and delayed enteral nutrition on severe acute pancreatitis. Methods Sixty-four patients of severe acute pancreatitis were enrolled into two groups: early enteral nutrition group was used as the treatment group and delayed enteral nutrition was used as the control group. Two weeks after the treatment, Variables of TP, ALB, CRP, APACHEⅡscore, hospital stay and recovery time of blood and urine amylase were compared between the two groups. Results The TP and ALB of the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The CRP and APACHEⅡscore of the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the recovery time of blood amylase, urine amylase and hospital stay were significantly shorter in the treatment group (P<0.05). Conclusion Using early enteral nutrition treatment in patients with severe acute pancreatitis is efficient, worthy of clinical use.