The present invention relates to pentose and pentose derivatives that are effective at increasing glucose transport in a non-insulin dependent manner, and to uses thereof for a) treating and/or preventing hyperglycemia; b) treating and/or preventing the complications of hyperglycemia; c) treating diabetes; d) increasing the rate of cellular glucose transport; e) increasing the rate of cellular glucose uptake; f) improving the ability of a subject to metabolize glucose; g) treating daily blood glucose fluctuations; h) reducing blood sugar levels; i) reducing the dosage of anti-diabetic medication needed for treatment of diabetes. The present invention further provides novel pentose derivatives having beneficial properties in terms of pharmacokinetics, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these novel compounds and uses thereof.