Actress Evangeline Lilly has credited a strict organic diet with helping her overcome clinical depression.

The Lost star suffered mental health issues for several years before deciding to overhaul her food intake, and she is adamant that eating only organic and unprocessed products helped her beat the condition without medication.

She tells Digitalspy.co.uk, "I have battled clinical depression and have come out of the other side. I've been free of it for many years now.

"Finding the place in my own mind and heart to win that battle without using medication, finding the place within myself where I could be alive again, that was one of the biggest challenges I've faced.

"Going from eating whatever to eating primarily organic food, I was astounded what a difference that made. After about a year or two years, I started to feel something physically lift out of my brain, and I believe it was all the chemicals I was probably ingesting (before)."

Lilly claims maintaining a positive attitude also aided her recovery, adding, "I would rather pretend to be happy than allow myself to be miserable. It's sort of the idea of 'fake it till you make it'. Put on a smile until you believe your own smile. That's a big part of it."